Hammer to Nail Review: Boys Go to Jupiter

Writer/director Julian Glander, best known for his 3D animated video game, ART SQUOOL, and Adult Swim contributions, gets personal with his feature debut, Boys Go to Jupiter. This animated slice-of-life musical conjures Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Barbie, Playmobile toys, and The Florida Project. But Glander and his producing partner, Peisin Yang Lazo mash up their evident influences in a way that feels wholly unique. It’s hardly the first film to depict that nebulous, confusing, and sometimes scary period betwixt teenhood and adulthood. But it feels fresh in so many ways. This one has sleeper classic written all over it. I wouldn’t be surprised if future filmmakers one day cite this film as an influence.

The story follows Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett, host of NPR’s Planet Money TikTok series),, a suburban teenager and recent high school drop-out, who is languishing in the dead zone between Christmas and New Years Eve. He decides that the best way to get his life on track is to earn $5000 delivering food via the Grubster app. He commutes on a Swagtron hoverboard, taking him across the paths of many oddball characters, who are voiced by a staggering roster of talent. Among them: an ineffectual security guard (Julio Torres, Problemista), the downtrodden owner of a mini golf course (Joe Pera), a fanatical Christian woman (Sarah Sherman, SNL), a spirited octogenarian (Cole Escola, TVs Search Party, Broadway’s Oh, Mary!), and the diabolical CEO of an orange juice company (90s comedy legend, Janeane Garofalo), who also happens to be the mother of Billy’s crush, Rozebud (indie musician Miya Folik). Influencing his misadventures at every turn is a donut-shaped alien he accidentally picks up during a delivery, and a worm-like creature (Tavi Gevinson) who may hold Billy’s fate in their… whatever it is that supernatural worms use instead of hands.

Meanwhile, Billy checks in with his friends, including the supportive and aptly-named Beatbox (Elise Fisher, Eighth Grade), a wild card called Freckles (Grace Kuhlenschmidt, TV’s The Daily Show), and the friend group scapegoat, Weenie (Chris Fleming). The crew are usually getting into some manner of suburban mischief. i.e. “We’re going down to the train tracks. Do a little train track stuff.” His family, including older sister, Gail 5000 (Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby) provides motivation in the form of tough love…

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September 12, 2025
Categories: Filmpinions . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Film Int. Review: Phantom Boy

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Co-directors Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol follow up their Oscar nominated film, A Cat in Paris, with Phantom Boy, a film that is perplexingly set in New York City, though everything else about it is as French as can be including the humor and animation style. The script (by Gagnol) tells the story of Leo, an eleven-year-old boy who, afflicted with an unnamed, but serious enough illness to require chemotherapy, learns that he can escape the loneliness of his hospital bed through astral projection for brief stints. When Leo meets Lt. Alex Tanguy (Édouard Baer), an injured police officer with a knack for getting on his boss’s nerves, he uses his power to help ensnare a criminal mastermind who threatens to bring the city to its knees. Phantom Boy is perhaps too simple a story to appeal to all ages, but for children, it is a terrific introduction to heady themes like crime noir and, more importantly, grave illnesses and mortality…

Read the rest at Film International!

September 29, 2016
Categories: Filmpinions . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Film Int. Review: Fantastic Planet Criterion DVD

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I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I first stumbled upon René Laloux’s surreal animated French language sci-fi film, Fantastic Planet (1973). I assume I was old enough to read subtitles, but I’m not 100% sure because the visuals are engaging and unusual enough to hold the attention of anyone, regardless of language comprehension. I believe it was broadcast on television in the mid 1980s, which means I would have been between 7 and 10 years of age. I must have been by myself because for years after, when I attempted to describe what I saw, I received only blank looks. After a while, I began to wonder if I had, in fact, dreamed it. The film certainly possesses a dreamlike quality. But sadly, my dreams are not quite so brilliant. Finally, in my early twenties, I stumbled upon a movie poster in an independent video store and my fuzzy memories were validated.

With the 2016 release of the Criterion edition, it’s clear that La Planète Sauvage (the original title) has staying power that reaches beyond the basement-dwelling 80s child demographic. After re-watching it, this is hardly surprising. The 1973 film is a piece of art that transcends time and space. The paper cutout animation brings Terry Gilliam’s Flying Circus segments to a new level, seamlessly blending moving pieces with the background to create a fluid visual. I’d call it a lost art; only graphic designer Roland Topor is peerless in his skill and vision. His images are mesmerizing and all encompassing. It’s a trip that you can take without the need for mind-altering drugs or a rocket ship…

Read the rest at Film International!

September 29, 2016
Categories: Filmpinions . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment