Review by Eric J. Lawrence

 

 

While Korean studios produce a sizable amount of work for American animation companies, including for shows like “The Simpsons” and “Justice League Unlimited,” homegrown productions have been slow to make an impact, even in Korea. Director Cho Beom-jin’s latest film, “Aachi & Ssipak,” seeks to change that. With a potent mix of gorgeous visuals, trenchant satire and an outrageous set-up, “Aachi & Ssipak” marks a clear turning point for the Korean animation industry.

Taking a cue from U.S. shows like “South Park,” Cho’s film uses vulgar trappings to disguise a clever commentary on modern society. “Aachi & Ssipak” is set in a dystopian future where traditional energy resources have run out and cities are now powered by the one resource still left in abundance: human feces. To encourage citizens to, uh, contribute to the cause, the government has set up a system where every defecator is rewarded with an immediate delivery of a Juicy Bar, an addictive popsicle-like laxative, which further encourages future contributions. To regulate this exchange, microchips have been installed in everyone’s anus to properly credit each stool.

The bumbling title characters make up one of several gangs out to steal Juicy Bars. After encountering an aspiring porn actress who has been “blessed” with the ability to earn an amazing abundance of Juicy Bars, they believe they have hit the jackpot. But they find themselves on the run from both the government forces (led by a RoboCop-like cyborg) and a violently insane hoard of mutant smugglers known as the “Diaper Gang.”

Quite literally, “Aachi & Ssipak” revels in “toilet humor,” featuring parodies of government sponsored public service announcements encouraging citizens to void their bowels. Every character is over the top, from the failed gay porn director (male gay porn is a big no-no in this world, as it misuses the “sacred anus”), to the government head who runs a totalitarian regime.

But what makes this film different from similarly vulgar examples of animation, such as “South Park,” or “Beavis and Butthead,” is the quality of the visuals. Cho, along with his design team, has come up with a look that has little in common with Disney, yet is rich and fluid. Over-the-top mayhem and intense action scenes are depicted in a way that could almost be described as beautiful. It is not surprising to learn that it took more than eight years to complete the film, given the unique visual texture of the film.

That said, the story could have used a little more depth. “Aachi & Ssipak” feels a bit repetitious, despite its brisk 90-minute length. The constant jokes about excrement and the vulgar language begin to wear thin after a while, eventually diluting the impact of the satire. Once the futuristic setting is established (in part through a spoken prologue), the film becomes a long, chaotic chase scene. There is little character development throughout the film; the thuggish villains remain thuggish, and the heroes (if you can call them that) remain heroic. Entertaining voice acting helps bring life to the variety of characters, even for those viewers who also have to read the subtitles. But given its feature film status, “Aachi & Ssipak” fails to rise above the quality level of a particularly good TV cartoon.