The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

In this revisionist update of the classic fairy tale--courtesy of the twisted minds of the stop-motion animation team known as the "bolexbrothers"--little Tom is a misshapen figure (think uglier Rugrat) born of poor tenement dwellers. Stolen by evil scientists (and I don't know what else to call people who create grotesque, cross-bred creatures and sentient body parts in a high-tech lab), Tom makes a daring escape through the sewer systems and is befriended by a giant-killer named Jack, whose war against the humans eventually brings Tom back to his forlorn parents. Happy ending? Not exactly, but I'll leave the rest for you to discover. Alternatively nightmarish and deeply touching (David Lynch meets Frank Capra, perhaps), The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is both an impressive technical achievement and a triumph of artistic design (weird touches like a crucified Santa Claus inhabit the corners of the frame throughout). Definitely not for every taste, but well worth the watch for more adventurous viewers. Recommended. (R. Pitman)