David Wayne Young in “Left Hook”
‘Left Hook’: An animated film filled with gloom, despair and agony
Directed by: Tyler W. Moore
Written by: Tyler W. Moore and Theodore J. Kowalsky
Starring: Jacob Aaron Cullum, Kristen Lee, Jeremy Blackwell, and David Wayne Young
“Left Hook” – “Gloom, despair and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair and agony on me.” – “Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me” by Buck Owens and Roy Clark
On April 10, 2020, the bubbly, bouncy animated musical “Trolls World Tour” – starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake - arrived on streaming platforms everywhere. Although this critic did not prefer the mash of colorful mushrooms, truckloads of glitter and more neon pink and green than a 1984 Wham! concert, directors Walt Dohrn and David P. Smith amped-up the toon in this 90-minute bloated, flamboyant cartoon for young kids.
“Left Hook” is an animated feature too, but director/co-writer Tyler W. Moore’s picture carries an altogether different look, vibe, and attitude. Add target audience to the list as well, because this tale about a loan shark named Michael (Jacob Aaron Cullum) – who feels no apprehension in releasing violent fury on clients who do not pay – would be badly misplaced as the second act in a “Trolls World Tour”-“Left Hook” Saturday afternoon double feature.
On its own, the film is a hard-luck story, a coarse and indelicate one that sets a definite tone from the get-go. Within the first 90 seconds, a teenaged Michael and his dad argue over a disciplinary write-up from his high school. During this verbal clash, father and son exchange numerous vulgarities and engage in off-screen fisticuffs.
Moore’s clear message to the audience is: “Buckle up, Buttercup, because it is going to be a bumpy ride.”
Mr. Moore delivers precisely that for 88 minutes. He sends us into a semi-urban universe that lies on the other side of the tracks that probably hasn’t seen a brand-new choo-choo chug on by in a few decades. Set in 1999 or shortly after – because of a “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” reference – Moore’s movie features gunplay, gambling, family strife, a drug deal, a boxing tourney, and a horrific tragedy that mimics a live-action, Oscar-nominated film from 2016.
Life, however, hasn’t always been a bed of nails and a gallon of castor oil for Michael, because he meets the girl of his dreams.
Ariana (Kristen Lee) and this semi-lost soul find each other…and a little corner of heaven. Murphy’s Law, however, sometimes rises as the ruling decree for the underprivileged, and its judgments can deliver cruel blows. This loan shark/street-sanctioned brawler may or not be depressed, but Michael certainly doesn’t seek out rainbows or pots of gold. Life has conditioned him by plastering low-hanging, gray desolation that blocks out his hopes and opportunities.
Rolling in the muddy ground of a dismal narrative, “Left Hook” sets a pretty miserable existence for Michael to overcome. From a storytelling perspective, our hero can only set one direction, and that is to proudly stand and sprint towards distinction and pride through a boxing competition. Of course, he’ll also have to blast through emotional brick walls - constructed by his trying influencers and even himself - to reach his form of paradise.
The animation department, however, didn’t craft fanciful worldbuilding, as life throughout the picture looks like everyday doldrums, from modest dwellings to small offices with cinder blocks laced with graffiti to empty lots that are ripe for criminal exchanges. The environment and the players grouse in rigidity with designed muted color palettes to match the trudging-in-place outlooks.
Looking back, perhaps “Left Hook” is not as depressing as it initially feels. Still, our sad sack lead lives in cartoon-spaces filled with R-rated content, including a couple of cringeworthy moments of brief nudity. For some, the film’s commitment to unremarkable, routine displays of unpleasantries might seem customary. For others, gloom, despair and agony aren’t three ingredients sought or wanted in animated features. Unfortunately, include uneventful as a fourth, and hey, maybe colorful mushrooms and truckloads of glitter aren’t that bad.
(1.5/4 stars)
Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.
