Hammerboy
The Korean featureHammerboy(2003) was adapted from a popularmanhwa(graphic novel) by Youngman Hur. In 2112, Mangchi, a pint-sized hero who's more enthusiastic than bright, lives in a setting that recallsWaterworld: a small colony on an island formed by two ruined skyscrapers. His grandfather forges the hammers Mangchi loves to play with, and instructs him in the "Great Echo," a way of focusing all the body's energy into a yell that serves as a weapon. When Princess Poplar crash lands near the colony, Mangchi has to help her against the power-hungry minister Moonk, who's trying to seize the throne.The filmmakers cram far too much story into 75 minutes, leaving the characters underdeveloped and big chunks of the plot unresolved and unexplained. Like other recent Korean features,Hammerboyborrows heavily from Japanese animation, especially the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Director Taekun An lifts elements fromCastle in the Sky,Porco Rosso, andKiki's Delivery Service, but it's all pastiche.Hammerboyis no deeper than an episode ofDigimon. (Rated 13 and older, but suitable for ages 9 and older: minor toilet humor, cartoon violence)--Charles Solomon