Inventors

Inventors is a new feature-length stop-motion animated movie about a group of (you guessed it) inventors competing in an annual competition. Separated into two groups, things get stirred up when the character of Bull is made to join the team which he’s long fought against. The crux of the story is then based around whether this talented but self-centered scientist can put his ego aside for the greater good; to create the winning invention. The film is set, for the most part, in two rooms, each containing the respective teams. And the animation style is a simple, plastic action-figure look. In the 75-minute runtime we follow the trials and tribulations, tests and conundrums of the collective; but it’s in the last few minutes that we come to better understand the reality we’re witnessing.

Allow us to start by discussing the unique form of stop-motion used in the film’s making. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the animation is the notable lack of mouth-movement of the personages. You could easily hold this against Inventors, and certainly for western audiences used to an almost restrictive level of mouthing accuracy in big commercial animation. This idiosyncrasy does take a bit of getting used to; however, one must realise that not only is this a matter of taste, but that the actual reality of the film – and the ‘twist’ of sorts which takes place in its mind-warping, metatextual dénouement – in fact conclusively places the figures in a context of absolute artifice. These creations are not for one moment meant to be interpreted as real people, and so the bare-bones, dollhouse aesthetic is made to reflect that idea. The only issue being that, depending on the target-audience, I can imagine children finding this style slightly unnerving. It’s not the gentlest, nor the easiest to follow of aesthetics – although incredibly impressive and skillfully done nevertheless.

For this writer, the standout element of the film is the direction and camera placement, even outside of animated considerations. The fact is that there are some fantastic shots in this picture. Compositions which demonstrate a clarity of space; framing which stays consistent with geography. The lens work is also quite wonderful, for there’s a depth to every image: we have subjects taking up the foreground, and background, sandwiching our subject in a most pleasing fashion.

It’s quite a strong screenplay which understands the conventions of a teamwork, race against the clock kind of narrative. The dialogue – which, in fact, often takes on quite an adult tone – veers into some emotional territory relating to confidence, self-image and empathy. The big problem with the script, on the other hand, is the lack of clarity and specifics surrounding the main invention. It doesn’t have to be much, but the film risks confusing the audience with the vague nature of the stakes at play, left not understanding the drive of the characters. There’s a cathartic reveal at the end relating to the relevance of the inventions, yet there’s a certain inelegance to the lead-up. At its best, the writing incorporates complex narrative layers, keeping the viewer on their toes, particularly during the third act. The plot itself (depending on how far you’d be willing to stretch this interpretation) can be viewed as a reflection of the puppet masters. Not just a reflection of the human inventors in the outside world of the story, but the creative puppet masters (the filmmakers and animators) who struggle together, bounce around ideas, and do their best to construct a winning movie.

The individuals who worked on this movie, more than anything else, demonstrate their ability to manipulate live-action cinematic language into an animated form – and that, from a level of cinematography and editing, is Inventors’ greatest asset. Showcasing fun original songs, optimistic ideas and lessons, and a great cast of voice actors, this is a successful animated feature.