Fire and Ice (1983)

Director:

Ralph Bakshi

Writers:

Ralph Bakshi (characters)
Gerry Conway (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 August 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Fantasy | Adventure

Tagline:

Heroic, Fantasy Adventure! [Video Australia]

Plot:

In this animated tale, a tiny village is destroyed by a surging glacier, which serves as the deadly domain for the evil Ice Lord...

Plot Keywords:

Ice | Fire | Warrior | Femme Fatale | Blood

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Randy Norton	...	Larn
Cynthia Leake	...	Teegra
Steve Sandor	...	Darkwolf
Sean Hannon	...	Nekron
Leo Gordon	...	Jarol
William Ostrander	...	Taro / voice of Larn
Eileen O'Reill	...	Juliana
Elizabeth Lloyd Shaw	...	Roleil
Micky Morton	...	Otwa
Tamarah Park	...	Tutor
Big Yank	...	Monga
Greg Wayne Elam	...	Pako (as Greg Elam)
Jimmy Bridges	...	Subhuman (as James Bridges)
Shane Callan	...	Subhuman
Archie Hamilton	...	Subhuman

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (DVD rating) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (DVD rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-12 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Aspen, Colorado, USA

Company:

Polyc International BV

Trivia:

In a cut scene from the script, Darkwolf was revealed to be Nekron's father.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Row (2007) (V)

Aaah,The Blessed Days of Rotoscope

Upon seeing this film at a much younger age then my 24 years of life,i then found it to be a dazzling and rather original artistique creation of sword and sorcery fantasy set a time long ago.Ten years down the track,i've not changed my mind but in fact come to praise the film for all of it's merits even more in the wake of all the incredibly weak CGI animated films on release presently.

What we have here is not the lame characterised outings of the likes of "Final Fantasy" but a full blooded and extremely energetic tale of good versus evil with some fantastic and outstandingly vivid sequences which blend live action into conceptual animation with much success and awe..The effect of Rotoscope is truly amazing and provides a much more realistic enhancemnet of live film mediums then the likes of what Disney and DreamWorks Studios can Conjure.Rotoscope Technique still stands the test of time today,as the The shadows of human characters moving to a blurred and paint splashed like environment truly outline the images as an artwork in rarest form.A film Critique once noted that Raplh Bakshi's films were Reminisant of a Rembrandt painting in motion..This couldn't be further from the truth.

Fire and Ice begins with a narrative of a powerful queen trying to gain allegiance to all regions of the known world with an army and an evil son trained in the black arts to assist in her eventual conquest.She uses kidnapping as a schematic to blackmail a generous King who also shares a throne in the same region.This brings on a war of the two powers..the powers being the realm of fire and the kingdom of ice.

This film is a true gem and not for a second will i ever believe that Ralph Bakshi was or ever has been an ailing film animator and director, Everything about this is just pure class,The heroes,villians,the astonishing action scenes,the settings,the animation(How many times do you want me to mention it?) The perhaps clieched,but nonetheless exciting Storyline and the actual in depth character development of our heroes and villians paves the way for an eye popping ninety minutes in front of the screen..Do yourself a favour if you've not seen this film,discard the likes of Bugs Life,Shrek and all the other Pixar related fanfare and revisit (if you have already seen)the pure genius that is Fire and Ice,Or enjoy for the first time a neat little film that was devised by a much underrated and gloriously imaginative director..The one and only Ralph Bakshi..

Just one gripe,a DVD of this film with Directors Commentary and storyboards would certainly not go astray...a rendition and resurfacing of an unfortunately forgotten masterpiece.