Ugly Americans
2010
Original language: English
- animation
- comedy
The story
Social worker Mark Lilly helps new citizens—both human and "other"—begin the process of adapting to life in the Big Apple, but his coworkers, demonic bureaucrat Twayne, drunken wizard Leonard Powers, surly law enforcement head Frank Grimes & his girlfriend, Callie, don't make it easy.
What it’s like
Flat, saturated adult-animation colour: bright and slightly off-model cartoon New York, all hard outlines, sickly greens and mustard yellows, and a city that looks cheerfully grimy under fluorescent office light and dingy night-time streetlamps. The drawing is loose and deliberately crude, the camera mostly locked to simple two-shot compositions that let the jokes land in the corners of the frame. Sound is a busy comic mix of cartoon squelches, cross-talk and jaunty, lounge-style incidental music that undercuts the chaos. The vibe is sardonic, scrappy and mildly unhinged, best for a lazy evening, a late-night laugh or a background watch while doing something else. Pacing is brisk, with short cold-open gags and rapid back-and-forth dialogue, and the emotional register stays arch and deadpan, with affection showing through the bickering among the office staff. Mark, the earnest caseworker, slowly learns to be less of a pushover amid the mess around him. Intensity is moderate: frequent crude humour, drinking, sexual innuendo and nudity in cartoon form, cartoon violence and gore that is goofy rather than frightening. Best for adults who like irreverent, profane satire and absurd workplace comedy, not for anyone wanting something gentle.
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