A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello

Date Viewed: 6/1/06

Details:

Voice talent: Helmut Bakaitis (Doctor Claude Belgon)

Joel Edgerton (Jasper Morello)

Richard Moss

Director: Anthony Lucas

Screenplay: Mark Shirrefs

Score: +

The Review: Animated short from Australia.

Morello is an airship navigator in an odd dystopic vision, with a personal flaw: on his last voyage he made a small error, causing an accident for which he has never forgiven himself (and which he's not been allowed to forget). Now he is assigned to yet another voyage which will prove to have deep cultural consequences.

This is a work of powerful imagination and exquisite animation. It is highly stylized, filled with dark detail, and reminds me of an alternate Victorian universe with architecture and gadgets constructed in Meccano (the early-20th-century European predecessor to the American 1950's Erector set) with intricate mechanical engineering and steam-powered air travel (hence the navigator of the title). Most characters voice their own dialog, with some chilling narration by the title character.

One of the 2005 Academy Award nominees for animated short feature; others included One Man Band, Badgered, Moon and the Son, and 9.

(3-Jun-06)

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