MAD GOD (Movie Review)

Ok, here we go. It’s June of 2022 and we are blessed by the cinema Gods to have a stop-motion film from Phil Tippett. That’s right, Phil Tippett who pioneered the technologies that gave us the wonders of Piranha, Dragonslayer, The Return of the Jedi, Howard the Duck, The Golden Child, Robocop 1-3, Willow, Jurassic Park, Starship Troopers, and the end of the Twilight Saga, unleashes an indescribable nightmare whose title may best describe its creator. MAD GOD is so well envisioned and executed that I can only assume Tippet found a way to project his corporeal imagination onto a piece of film. I’m also faced with a dilemma. How does one describe the indescribable? It’s like discerning the truth of a fever dream or psychedelic trip. Useless and it misses the point of the experience. So, instead of breaking my brain and incoherently rambling about themes, narratives, and production, I’m going to take a different approach. Let’s try and discern the first two Acts of Mad God through story moments, a task that I believe can remain spoiler-free because so much of the story is told through minute visual details.

The opening shot sets the tone with a deep red sunset and what could very well be the Tower of Babel. On top of the tower is a shifting phantasm seemingly being worshiped by thousands of fire wielding beings. The sky darkens and obsidian-like clouds soon envelop the space, and we get our title card, MAD GOD. Do I have any idea of what is happening straight out of the gate? Absolutely not. Am I completely enthralled by the mystery and wonders presented? You bet. The film shifts to the Assassin, a masked individual that looks like they were ripped out of the trenches of World War I. The only thing missing is having it ask others, “are you my mommy?”, instead it opts for the silent approach. The Assassin is lowered deep into the recesses of this foreign land. On its journey down, we see the fossils of dinosaurs, magical beasts, mythical creatures, robots, and other fantastic imagery. What I love about this is the possibility that anything could arise. Such as a flossed out, butcher knife wielding Rancor-esque creature that leaves what may very well be the home of Norman Bates, to investigate the commotion outside.

As the Assassin continues its journey, it becomes evident that this may be OSHA’s worst nightmare. A highly designed series of buildings and rooms that serve to torture and process whatever creature is set to inhabit them. In fact, it feels like a design that the Tall Man would implement in Phantasm. A system built on horrors feeding upon other horrors in a way that would make Rube Goldberg tear his face off. We are soon given the first big clue into its mission. Facing piles of similarly designed briefcases, the Assassin opens its own case to reveal a bomb but before it can complete said objective, things go awry. The next scene may be my favorite in the entire film. A wholly unsettling shadow puppet display of torture juxtaposed to classical music and giggling. Tippett employs more visual tricks starting with a vivisection, using live action interspliced with his marvelous stop motion. I loved seeing Alex Cox pop up but please, can someone get this man some nail clippers?!

Ok 2^nd act of MAD GOD, wtf? We are treated to an origin story of sorts, exposing the longstanding war between two societies. But what I didn’t expect was the baby from Eraserhead to play the prominent role of sacrificial lamb to a giant Plague Doctor. Bravo. This is also where Tippett gets his most philosophical. Pulling back the shroud of how time works in this depraved world through religious and cultural iconography. And unsurprisingly, the film continues to profess its love of poop. Which, I get. I mean, what is a society without the people that painstakingly shovel its shit? To counterbalance the various tones of brown and black, leprous Robert de Brus guides us on a tour of his technicolor creature dungeon. This vibrant collection of creatures is beautiful, psychedelic and a welcome break from the horrors previously witnessed. The film quickly reverts to its horrific nature and ends the 2^nd Act on an alchemical note. The 3^rd Act opens with such wonder and charm that it needs to be in the same conversation as 2001: A Space Odyssey even with its direct homage.

MAD GOD is an impressive feat of scope and vision; a twisted fantasy that could only be derived from the mind of a mad genius. The visual tools employed are vast and impressive but it’s the look of the creature design and environment that wowed me, I haven’t seen something this slick since the shunting in Society. Mix this in with Tippett’s allegory on the destructive nature war and its never-ending cycle, and MAD GOD is the masterpiece we deserve in 2022.