This is a documentary about George Pal--a man who created MANY fanciful films over the years. When he lived in Europe, he produced many animated films--mostly using stop-motion. And, when he left to come to America during the Nazi era, he continued with stop-motion but also graduated up to directing and producing films with such amazing topics as sci-fi, fantasy and mythology. The film consists (not surprisingly) of many clips from his films but also archival footage of Pal (who had died by the time the documentary was made) as well as many interviews with folks who admired him as well as starred in his films. What I found most fascinating were not the clips (frankly, the artistry today looks very quaint) but how affectionate everyone was when they talked about him. It wasn't just admiration for his skills but his decency as a person. Folks just seemed to love him--and I am sure this film will work better because of this. Interesting and well worth seeing, though I wish they'd included more of his Puppetoons film work. Well made and charming.
