The caricatured Beatles are immediately recognizable even if what surrounds them isn’t. Like in any odyssey worth remembering, there’s a gaggle of outrageous characters and creatures. Besides, it didn’t start with a story a hit song from 1966 about how we all live in a sunshine-colored submersible watercraft inspired it. It gives you more time to concentrate on the magical tour’s loopy images and enduring tunes. The plot is minimal, but that’s just fine. Think of it as a counterculture Fantasia. It’s full of trippy imagery, in-jokes and clever cross-references. The animated music is a series of loosely connected set pieces set to Beatles songs, more akin to traditional music videos than a typical film. And just when you think it’s over, the real John, Paul, George and Ringo appear in the finishing live-action sing-along. The forces of good do eventually make it to Pepperland to save the day and further prove that the Beatles will never be equaled. The Boob adds intellect and humor after joining their crew. After all, it’s about the journey, not about the destination.Īlong the way, in the Sea of Nothing, they pick up “Nowhere Man” Jeremy Hillary Boob, who is much less risqué than his name might suggest. They spend most of the film traveling through psychedelic regions like the Sea of Time, the Sea of Science, and the Foothills of the Headlands. Not unlike Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy in Oz, the Fab Four find themselves on an odyssey to Pepperland. Old Fred goes to England to enlist the help of the Beatles. While Meanies attack with their Flying Glove and drain the countryside of color and music, a trusted survivor, Old Fred, escapes in the yellow submarine. They’re the type to scream, “A thing of beauty destroy it forever!” The Blue Meanies hate music, hate love, and well, hate everything. The story concerns the cheerful paradise of Pepperland, a land that’s overflowing with love, color and melody until it’s invaded by creatures called the Blue Meanies. The result is a feast for the eyes, and a wonderful delight for your ears, with something surreal occurring in just about every scene. What Dunning and company were able to accomplish is astounding. The word “classic” is tossed around much too frequently when it comes to film, yet Yellow Submarine earns its exalted legacy, and not just because of its association with the most successful group in music history. Plus, those formerly reluctant Beatles enjoyed the production enough that they decided to film a live-action sing-along piece to “All Together Now”, which concludes the iconic film.Īnd they weren’t alone in their appreciation. Even the Beatles, who didn’t record their voices for the film, were ultimately swayed by its animated ambition. Much like with A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles fans understandably feared simple exploitation yet were given an innovative treat. Prior to its release, the film seemed sure to be a quick, shallow cash-grab and an easy way for the band to complete their three-film contract with United Artists. Director George Dunning’s Yellow Submarine opened the door for maturity and experimentation for feature film animation, a door that has unfortunately been rarely walked through since. The lads from Liverpool, who up until that point could do almost nothing wrong, were wrong. They figured Yellow Submarine was going to be more of the same. The Beatles hated Al Brodax’s animated American TV series called The Beatles so much that it hadn’t aired in the UK. That’s especially worth mentioning since, in the whole scheme of things, the band had very little to do with the film’s production. Watching their trip to Pepperland evokes nostalgia and brilliance.Ī Hard Day’s Night and Help! may have starred John, Paul, George and Ringo, but 1968’s Yellow Submarine best captures the essence of the Fab Four: distinct personalities, timely fun, blissful experimentation, flawless musicality, countercultural boundary stretching, and the overarching belief that love really is all you need. The film encapsulates everything good and lasting about the Beatles and their cultural influence. The most innovative and surprising animated film from the ’60s features the Beatles on an amazing, vibrant journey via some of the most experimental and inventive animation techniques seen at that time. Plus, now it can astound every one of us in high definition. It’s about time! After being inexplicably out of circulation for years, we can all return to Pepperland. Yellow Submarine has finally surfaced on Blu-ray disc.
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