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★★★★
Directed by Nicholas De Fina
Starring Drew Current, Sam Pink, & Rasheeda Moore
Animated Film Review by Chris Olson
In 2016, Deadpool gave us the first foul-mouthed superhero film to go big in a mainstream way. Its crude caper appeal was a refreshing break from the smorgasbord of superhero films that have clogged up cinema slates for the last few years. Whilst there is still a huge appetite for Marvel, and to a lesser extent DC, films that use their comic characters in the same formulaic way, new ground must be broken to keep the genre from feeling like Groundhog Day with spangly outfits. Enter Nicholas De Fina's animated film, LeSeurdmin.
Peter "Lizard Man" LeSeurdmin (Drew Current) is a deadbeat misanthrope who has alcoholic tendencies and severe depression - the perfect qualities for a hero then. After getting wasted in front of his partner Nicole's (Rasheeda Moore) parents and wreaking havoc across town, Peter's life starts to crumble. Not only does Nicole leave him, but a brew of extremely rare lizard beer leaves his body a medical marvel! Also, he has captured the attention of a villain known as The Grillmaster (no, not George Foreman), who speaks almost exclusively in food puns. The Grillmaster (Sam Pink) has sent his goons known as "Munions" (wordplaying Minions and Onions we think), to hunt him down.
Like a cross between Family Guy, South Park and Kick-Ass, LeSeurdmin is outrageously funny and daring. The humour is incredibly adult, but in a way which (like Deadpool) stays on the side of being entertaining rather than infantile. The hokey animation is a bit of a throwback, but in a really enjoyable way for fans of this genre.
A major challenge that feature length animation films face is justifying a longer running time, when quick-fire comedy very often struggles to maintain an audience's attention for even a 20-minute television episode. Herein lies the biggest kudos that writer and director De Fina deserves, as his movie completely holds its own for the duration. The jokes are relentlessly funny, with a no-holds-barred approach to all topics, and the graphic animation is eye-wincing in its stark barbarity that audience members who find themselves laughing will have to question their own morality.
Watch the official movie trailer for LeSeurdmin above.
One moment in the film revealed the only sense of amateurishness on the part of the filmmakers, a poorly recorded montage song which had vocals that were incoherent and sounded like they were recorded in someone's bathroom. Which was a shame as the film has such a high standard throughout that I completely forgot I was watching an indie-budget movie except for that section.
That is minor criticism though in what is otherwise a heroic movie in more ways than one. The use of comic strip layouts, hand drawing, and well sketched characters (in every sense of the phrase) shows a heartfelt passion for the form whilst approaching it in a bold and unique way, wanting to contribute something genuinely worthwhile. If you like your superheroes dark, your comedy sharp (and foul-mouthed), and your animation classic, LeSeurdmin is your perfect componion (see what we did there?).
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