This 80-minute trek through ?prehistory? is full of charm and imagination from start to finish. Shown at the Cannes Film festival in 1980, and featuring songs performed by Leo Sayer. It?s adorably cheeky and invents it?s own theories on what REALLY happened when man first dragged himself out of the murky goulash of his own primitive mind. You know what they say, poop happens! Again we find Picha?s fondness for narration, with many a noble historical spiel (courtesy of one Mark Smith) cropping up throughout to contrast with the many inept and decidedly ?accidental? actions of our hero and his dopey ?fellow man?.

As with my other Picha film review for this site, it?s easiest to attempt a ?nutshell? account of what happens. The year is 196,303 B.C. The story begins on Wednesday 25th May of that year, to be precise! Early man is as dumb as a bag of hammers, is not yet walking upright (those scenes are really amusing!), and can?t even work out the correct way to procreate until a pair of dinosaurs lead by example. Of course, it?s simply a case of monkey see, monkey do! Eventually early woman gives birth to two brothers, O and Ug. Strangely, there seems to be quite a difference between them! Thus the ?missing link? is born! In true form, the clearly more evolved O is abandoned by his fearful clan, and must pursue his destiny alone. Until fate literally throws him together with a similarly abandoned brontosaurus, and this ?dino? (named Igua) becomes O?s surrogate mother/protector.

In time, O is befriended by a slick Pteradactyl named Croak, sees his own reflection, realises he is not the same as Igua, and sets off on his own in search of his own kind. In his travels he comes across some really strange creatures and slowly learns to use his observational skills to help him survive in a harsh environment. What will happen if/when O is reunited with his fellow man? Who will ultimately prevail?

Highlights again abound. Look for the ?Star Wars?, ?Gulliver?s Travels? and Hitler references, and even a touch of the seven dwarves in the wacky ?no lobes? creatures. Witness also the world?s first attempt at conflict resolution following a mid-air collision, the bizarre story behind the discovery of fire and the wheel, the origins of prehistoric art, and the real culprit in the whole ?tree of knowledge apple eating? fiasco. The Ice Age ?nordic? Neanderthals and how quickly/accidentally they seal their own fate is also charming. E = MC squared? Not really a new idea! An alternative theory for the demise of the dinosaurs is also offered.

Trust me when I say that when it comes to evolutionary speculation, this story has it all! As if this plot on it?s own isn?t enough to make for a really interesting animated film, the technical skill of the animators and scenarists in creating the wonderful style and backdrop for the action is gorgeous. It?s a perfect combination of everything as I see it, and I really, really recommend it.

THE EXTRAS

None other than scene selection. English only soundtrack.

CONCLUSION

This is another classic piece of adult animation from Belgian producer/director Picha, not nearly as risque as it?s predecessor, ?Shame of the Jungle?. This time, he takes an M-rated swipe at prehistory and the birth of civilized man. We meet all manner of weird creatures across many landscapes as our ever-evolving hero, simply named O, sets off in search of his own kind. A great buy, despite no re-mastering and no extras. Picha?s irreverent take on the world is unique and I love this ?darker? humour. And not a computer-generated image to be found! Yes, there?s more to the wonderful world of animation than just production-line Disney/Pixar.