It's taken seven years for this flawed but visually sumptuous Franco-Spanish animated tale to reach home video in the U.S. While nobody credits Winsor McCay's surreal comic-strip Little Nemo in Slumberland (itself the basis for a so-so 1989 feature film) as inspiration, there are definite similarities. Here, an orphan boy named Tim (voiced by Lloyd F. Booth Shankley), who is afraid of the dark and unable to sleep one night, crawls out onto the roof seeking the comfort of his favorite star—which he suddenly cannot find. Eventually, Tim stumbles across the realm of Nocturna, a hidden society of night-dwelling creatures who orchestrate various non-daylight routines, ranging from scripting dreams to tousling the hair of unwary sleepers. Meanwhile, stars keep disappearing, and Tim tries to find out who or what is responsible. The actual culprit is the film's weakest aspect—a spreading phantom called the Shadow, which is artfully rendered but mystifying in terms of origin, motivation, operation, and just about everything else (including how Tim finally triumphs over it). Co-directed by Adrià Garcia and Victor Maldonado, Nocturna is a wonderful-looking film with eye-catching designs and unusual character concepts, but it's hobbled by a disappointingly sketchy narrative. A strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)
Nocturna
Cinedigm, 88 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95 Volume 30, Issue 2
Nocturna
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