Monday, August 31, 2015

Movie Review: Rien à Déclarer (a.k.a Nothing to Declare)

Rien à Déclarer a.k.a Nothing to Declare
Pathé, Les Productions du Ch'timi, TF1 Films Production, Scope Pictures, Canal+, CinéCinéma, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Région Wallone, SCOPE Invest, France, Belgium, 2010.
Rien à Déclarer a.k.a Nothing to Declare
In 1986 Belgian customs officers Ruben Vandevoorde (Benoît Poelvoorde) and Bruno Vanuxem (Bouli Lanners) hear shocking news: the Courquain customs station between France and Belgium is going to be closed. Seven years later the final moments of the border station are at hand. Über-patriotic Ruben gives lazy Bruno a lesson about defending the borders. 
Bouli Lanners
Bruno Vanuxem
Benoît Poelvoorde
Ruben Vandevoorde
French customs officer Mathias Ducatel (Dany Boon) is milder mannered computer specialist. Mathias has fiancée Louise (Julie Bernard) who is Ruben's sister. Problem is that Ruben hates the French people so the relationship must stay secret.
Dany Boon
Mathias Ducatel
Julie Bernard
Louise
Idiotic drug smugglers Monsieur Duval (Laurent Gamelon), Tiburce (Bruno Lochet) and Hammer (Laurent Capelluto) are trying one more operation before the new year. When the relations of Belgium and French customs officers become tense, Mathias and Ruben are assigned to mobile customs unit. The budget of the unit is low and their car is a junk.
Laurent Gamelon
Duval
Bruno Lochet
Tiburce
Mobile customs unit
As there will be less passersby soon, cafeteria owners Irene (Karin Viard) and Jacques (François Damiens) Janus have to sell the business if only someone would be stupid enough to buy it. They become involved in the smuggling plot. Mathias and Ruben must overvome their prejudices, bust the smugglers and Mathias must also convince Louise's family. Easier said than done.
François Damiens and Karin Viard
Jacques and Irene
Patrolling for smugglers
Fun comedy with theme of overcoming national prejudices. The style is quite like French comedies of 1970-80s.  The nice cast of goofy characters makes a good atmosphere. There is also nostalgic humour about 90s technology with big NMT-phones and malfunctioning computers. After the talkative start, the comedy gets more slapstick style when the two officers start patrolling the country roads. Philippe Rombi's music reminds a bit of Danny Elfman or John Williams. The plot goes quite predictable buddy comedy route, but Benoît Poelvoorde's explosive character makes it worth to watch.

Rating: Good

Starring: Benoît Poelvoorde, Dany Boon, Christel Pedrinelli, Karin Viard, Joachim Ledeganck, Philippe Magnan, Julie Bernard, Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Jean-Paul Dermont, Zinedine Soualem, François Damiens, Guy Lecluyse, Bouli Lanners ,Laurent Gamelon, Eric Godon, Bruno Lochet, Olivier Gourmet, Laurent Capelluto, Sylviane Aliet, Bruno Moynot, Jean-Luc Couchard ,Alexandre Carrière, Laurent Sobry, Jérôme Commandeur, David Coudyser, Nicolas Guy, Christophe Rossignon ,Jérôme Seydoux, Sophie Seydoux, Roland Lévy, Corinne Lévy, Jean-Claude Lagniez ,Patrick Vo ,Eliot, Sinead Shannon Roche Director: Dany Boon

Shameless Pile Keeps on Growing: Cleaning Day Edition

Cleaning Day (http://siivouspaiva.com/en/) backfired a bit because after the day I had more stuff  than in the beginning. I sold some surplus CDs though.

Here's what I found:

DVDs: Sin, Meltdown: Days of Destruction , 10.5 Earthquake, The Poseidon Adventure (2005), Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane (The Best of Series 1 & 2), Firestorm, Supernova (2005), Black Eagle, The Monkey King
and some music:
Bal-Sagoth: Atlantic Ascendant (that has some radio-friendly song titles such as "The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire, Part III"  )
Evanescence: The Open Door

Also my plan to get rid of double copies didn't quite work (I was sure I already owned 10.5 Apocalypse instead of 10.5 Earthquake, but it wasn't the case):
Damn it.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Movie Review: Juan of the Dead

Juan of the Dead (Juan de los Muertos) 
La Zanfoña Producciones, Producciones de la 5ta Avenida, Soundchef Studios Spain, Cuba, 2011. 
Juan of the Dead (Juan de los Muertos)
Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) and Lazaro (Jorge Molina) are two lazy Cuban fishermen. One day they catch a zombie. Apparently the zombie has floated from Guantanamo Bay prison camp. They decide not to speak about the encounter. Lazaro has son Vladi California (Andros Perugorría) who is just as lazy as his dad. Juan's daughter Camila (Andrea Duro) wants to leave for Miami after better life. 
Jorge Molina and Alexis Díaz de Villegas
Lazaro and Juan meet a zombie
Andrea Duro
Camila
Juan and Lazaro spend their free time peeping women and begging for sex. They also do business with stolen car radios. Zombie outbreak starts but the government blames dissidents supported by USA. When neighbour's crippled old man dies and begins to walk, Juan and his friends have to quickly learn zombie killing skills (and also how to dispose the bodies). 
Zombie revolution!
Juan gets an idea how to get rich by killing 'dissidents' for pay. Juan is the veteran of Angolan civil war, 'Cuba's Vietnam' so he knows some combat and survival skills. First objective is to make sure that they do not run out of rum. Lazaro, California, transvestite China (Jazz Vilá) and his muscular but hemophobic boyfriend Primo (Eliecer Ramírez) form Juan's team. 
Jazz Vilá, Eliecer Ramírez, Jorge Molina, Andros Perugorría and Alexis Díaz de Villegas
China, Primo, Lazaro, California and Juan
As the group consist of lowlifes, collateral damage will happen but so what. The chaos is a chance to get rid of old enemies. Seriously, the characters do things their American counterparts would never get away with. They only draw the line at killing cows. 
Camila: "Can't you make a distinction between the good guys and the bad guys?" 
Lazaro: "Girl, in this country it's always been difficult to do that." 
As the business gets too hot and the paying customers get fewer, the team decides to expatriate to Miami. That's where Preacher Jones (Antonio Dechent) can help. Or maybe not. 
Alexis Díaz de Villegas
Bring it on!
The movie goes after "Shaun of the Dead" Caribbean style with more raunchier humour. The humour is macabre, in the style of Peter Jackson's "Bad Taste" or "Braindead". Numerous references to other zombie films are present as well some to "Enter the Dragon." There is even a reference to Lucio Fulci's "Zombie Flesh Eaters" with underwater zombies. However it is much more than just a parody of zombie genre. 

As a Latin horror-comedy it has its own fresh and irreverent style. There is enough gore for fans of zombie flicks. The zombies look brutal, but the zombie effects get a bit more generic towards the end. As there are few firearms in Cuba, most of the combat is performed using melee weapons, machetes, axes, baseball bats and Juan's signature weapon: paddle. There is surprising amount of satire on Cuban society and Castro regime, with many jokes that would require knowledge about Cuba to be fully understood. It is a wonder that the government allowed the production of this film. The characters are a colourful bunch, often stupid and callous but somehow likeable. Towards the end there are also some sentimental moments with some unusual twists. This deserves a status as a cult film. 
Rating: Very good 

Starring: Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andros Perugorría, Andrea Duro, Jazz Vilá, Eliecer Ramírez, Blanca Rosa Blanco, Susana Pous, Antonio Dechent, Eslinda Núñez, Elsa Camp, Pablo Alexandro González Ramy, Juan Miguel Mas, Argelio Sosa, Marisol Egurrola, Diana Rosa Suárez, René de la Cruz Jr., Sandy Marquetti, Luis Alberto García, Olga Lidia Alfonso, Pablo Baena, Vicente Javier Olmedo, Enrique Gadea, Manuel Herrera, Mailyn Domínguez, Ulyk Anello, Zoraida Rosario, Eduardo Armiento, Pavel Giroud, Carlos Massola 
Director: Alejandro Brugués

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Movie Review: Pain & Gain

Pain & Gain
Paramount Pictures, De Line Pictures, USA, 2013.
Pain & Gain title
(Arvio suomeksi: paina tästä)

This review is part of a cooperation project suggested by ...noir, where a group of Finnish movie bloggers write about the same movie from their own perspectives. The other participants are (in Finnish only):

The movie is based on the true story of bodybuilder Daniel Lugo and the Sun Gym Gang.

Miami, 1994-95. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a fitness instructor coaching rich slobs. Rich diner entrepreuner Victor Pepe Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) joins the club and brags about his wealth. Daniel has high goals and meeting Victor puts the bar higher. Previously Daniel got burned by selling hoax investments to gullible customers. 
Mark Wahlberg
Daniel Lugo
Tony Shalhoub
Victor Pepe Kershaw
Frustrated with their low-pay jobs and full of steroids Daniel and coworker Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) attends Jonny Wu's (Ken Jeong) life-coaching seminar. Surely guys who look like demi-gods deserve more from America than just dimes. Daniel and Adrian decide to rob Victor. They recruit also former junkie and jail bird Paul Doyle (Dwayne "Rock" Johnson) who can not get other jobs than working at church. 
Dwayne "Rock" Johnson, Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Mackie
Paul, Daniel & Adrian
Ken Jeong
Jonny Wu
Adrian's motives are to be able to pay expensive impotence treatments to Dr. Bjornson (Peter Stormare). Paul gets enough of gay priests. First kidnapping attempts fail. And the real kidnapping does not go as planned. Mixed in the messy plot are stripper Sorina (Bar Paly) and Adrian's nurse girlfriend Robin (Rebel Wilson). Although the gang planned not to use violence, soon murders and attempted murders start to pile up. Due to lazy cops the gang continues its activities unnoticed. Private investigator Ed DuBois III (Ed Harris) begins to crack the case. 
Ed Harris
Ed DuBois III
Paul embracing the tiny motel owner (Donny Davis)

This is a bit different for a Michael Bay movie. Budget is lower, there are no giant robots, not many big shoot-outs and Earth does not blow up. The director's trademark style is still present, low camera angles, slow motions and camera spinning around the characters. Michael Bay turns the grisly real-life murder case into a "Fargo"-style dark comedy. The movie has been criticized by the families of the victims for portraying the criminals as sympathetic idiots. However Daniel Lugo is clearly portrayed as a manipulative thug that loses the few sympathy points he had when he starts committing crimes. 

At times it is like watching "America's Dumbest Criminals." The main characters are chasing the American Dream in a horribly disturbed way. The film resonates with the white-collar crime flick "The Wolf of Wall Street." The film is also satirical on life coaching-gurus selling oversimple solutions. There is a perversion of motto from Paolo Coelho's "Alchemist": If you believe you deserve it, the Universe will serve it. ( “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist") 

Entertaining and arrogant movie although using the true story makes it exploitative. The actors pull their roles suitably over the top, The Rock steals the show as a religious and overstrung drug fiend. Tony Shalhoub is great as victim who has bad attitude and Ed Harris as the voice of reason. 

Rating: Good




Suomeksi:

Pain & Gain
Paramount Pictures, De Line Pictures, USA, 2013. 

Tämä arvostelu kuuluu ...noirin ideoimaan yhteisprojektiin, jossa joukko suomalaisia elokuvabloggaajia kirjoittaa omia näkemyksiään samasta elokuvasta. Muut osanottajat ovat:

Elokuva perustuu tositapahtumiin ja kertoo kehonrakentaja Daniel Lugosta ja Sun Gym- jengistä. 

Miami 1994-95. Daniel Lugo on kunto-ohjaaja joka valmentaa rikkaita pullukoita. Rikas ruokalayrittäjä Victor Pepe Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) liittyy kerhoon ja kehuskelee varakkuudellaan. Danielilla on korkeat tavoitteet ja Victorin tapaaminen nostaa rimaa entisestään. Aiemmin Daniel kärähti huijattuaan hyväuskoisia asiakkaita roskasijoituksilla. 

Steroideja pumppaavat Daniel ja työtoveri Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) turhautuvat matalapalkkatöihinsä ja osallistuvat Jonny Wun (Ken Jeong) elämänvalmennusseminaariin. Varmastikin Amerikka on velkaa puolijumalannäköisille tyypeille enemmän kuin vain pennosia. Daniel ja Adrian päättävät ryöstää Victorin. He värväävät myös entisen narkkarin ja linnakundin Paul Doylen (Dwayne "Rock" Johnson) joka ei saa töitä kuin kirkosta. 

Adrianin motiivina on tienata rahaa impotenssin hoitoon tohtori Bjornsonin (Peter Stormare) klinikalla. Paul saa tarpeekseen homopapeista. Ensimmäiset sieppausyritykset epäonnistuvat. Eikä onnistunutkaan yritys mene suunnitelmien mukaan. 

Sotkuiseen juoneen sekaantuvat strippari Sorina (Bar Paly) ja Adrianin hoitajatyttöystävä Robin (Rebel Wilson). Vaikka jengi ei suunnitellut käyttävänsä väkivaltaa, alkaa murhia ja murhayrityksiä kasaantua. Laiskat kytät antavat jengin jatkaa toimintaansa huomaamatta. Yksityisetsivä Ed DuBois III (Ed Harris) alkaa ratkaista tapausta. 

Michael Bayn elokuvaksi tämä on hieman erilainen. Budjetti on pienempi, ilman jättiläisrobotteja, suuria ammuskelukohtauksia eikä maapallokaan räjähdä. Toki tyypilliset ohjaajan tunnusmerkit ovat läsnä, matalat kuvakulmat, hidastukset ja hahmojen ympäri kiertävä kamera. Michael Bay muuntaa todellisen julman murhatapauksen "Fargo"-tyyliseksi mustaksi komediaksi. Uhrien perheet kritisoivat elokuvaa rikollisten kuvaamisesta sympaattisina idiootteina. Kuitenkin Daniel Lugo esitetään selkeästi manipuloivana roistona joka menettää vähätkin sympatiapisteensä alkaessaan tehdä rikoksia. 

Välillä elokuva on kuin katsoisi "Amerikan tyhmimpiä rikollisia." Päähenkilöt jahtaavat Amerikkalaista unelmaa kieroutuneella tavalla. Mieleen tulee myös valkokaulusrikosfilmi "The Wolf of Wall Street." Elokuva on myös satiirinen elämänvalmennusguruja kohtaan, jotka myyvät ylihelppoja ratkaisuja. Paolo Coelho "Alkemistin" motto esitetään perverssillä tavalla: Jos uskon ansaitsevani jotain, kaikkeus antaa sen. ("Kun haluat jotain, koko maailmankaikkeus auttaa sinua saavuttamaan sen." Paulo Coelho, "Alkemisti")

Viihdyttävä ja röyhkeä elokuva joskin tositarinan käyttämisestä jää hyväksikäytön maku suuhun. Näyttelijät vetävät roolinsa sopivasti yli, The Rock varastaa shown uskovaisena ja hermoheikkona huumehörhönä. Tony Shalhoub on loistava pahansisuisena uhrina ja Ed Harris järjen äänenä.

Arvosana: Hyvä

Starring/Rooleissa: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Michael Rispoli, Keili Lefkovitz, Emily Rutherfurd, Larry Hankin, Tony Plana, Peter Stormare, Vivi Pineda, Ken Clement, Yolanthe Cabau, Brian Stepanek, Christopher Jestin, Persi Caputo, Bill Kelly, Gregg Weiner, Parris Buckner, Nicholas X. Parsons, Donny Davis, Vivian Ruiz, Jeff Owings, Rushanna Lewis, Richard Haylor, Trudie Petersen, Patrick Bristow, Wladimir Klitschko, Mike Tremont, Holland Hayes, Sabrina Mayfield, Kiki Harris, Choice Gray, Chaz Mena, Carol Kaye, Tyrone Bordon Sr., Lawrence Scott, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Mike Benitez, Cedric DePasquale, Oliver Jay, Rubber Doll, Nikki Benz, Jessica Dykstra, Vannessa Nevader, Andrea Bennetti, Courtney O'Connor, Gwendalyn Barker, Irina Kazakova, Bill Erfurth, Rey Hernandez, Charlie Johnson, Seven Greyhound 
Director/Ohjaaja: Michael Bay

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Movie Review: Boa vs. Python

Boa vs. Python 
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, Unified Film Organization (UFO), Blaze Productions LLC, BUFO USA, Bulgaria, 2004. 
Boa vs. Python title
Mr. Broddick (Adamo Palladino) has ordered a giant python (green snake) for a weekend hunt. It is wonderful what you can order from eBay. The snake escapes and the truck explodes. Sensationalist reporter Kent Humphries (Jeff Rank) suspects terrorists. Laconic Agent Sharpe (Kirk B.R. Woller) finds a snake scale. Outstanding. 
Adamo Palladino and Angel Boris Reed
Mr. Broddick and Eve
Jeff Rank
Kent Humphries
Kirk B.R. Woller
Agent Sharpe
In Philadelphia the snake attacks water power plant. Navy diver Monica Bonds (Jaime Bergman) and snake expert Dr. Emmett (David Hewlett) are called for help. Dr. Emmett has a giant boa named Betty (red snake). Sharpe wants to use the boa and Monica's bionic implants to track the other snake. 
Jaime Bergman
Monica Bonds
David Hewlett
Dr. Emmett
Meanwhile Mr. Broddick, his girlfriend Eve (former Playboy-model Angel Boris Reed) and business partners cowboy Tex (Harry Anichkin), Tom Berenger fanboy sniper Mr. Foley (Atanas Srebrev), redneck father and son team Danner (George R. Sheffey) & James (Griff Furst) and fake Indian crossbow hunter Littlefield (Ivo Naidenov) are going to hunt the snake. The fools do not know that the snake is invulnerable to bullets. The hunters hunt in the forest and the scientists in the sewers. Soon the two groups meet with catastrophic results. 
The hunting party
Harry Anichkin
Python vs. Tex
Adamo Palladino
Mr. Broddick likes to burn things
Before that the boa gets out of control even though there is a remote control for putting the snake to sleep. Cool, I have a lighter that looks like Dr. Emmett's remote control!
Dr. Emmett's remote control
My cool lighter
The action climaxes in nightclub that is also a subway station (?). The DJ plays The Prodigy- style knock-off music before the python complaints against the loud music. Mr. Broddick decides to have a barbecue party.

"Boa" and "Python" have both had their own movies so, this time both of them meet in the battlefield. For a giant monster movie they get quite little screen time though. Most of the action time is spent on watching some braindead characters getting eaten (usually off screen due the budget constraints). The snakes are made with cheap CGI à la "Anaconda." There is even a CGI subway station! Many scenes feature girls with or without bikinis. The deadpan actors deliver absurd one-liners. The dialogue has moments that are so stupid that it is fun. 
Angel Boris Reed
Boa vs. Eve
In the beginning there is a wrestling match with wrestlers Boa and Python. The outcome of the match symbolizes the result of the giant snake battle. There is also some "deep social criticism" with pokes directed at sensational press, expensive bottle water, big game hunting and snake phobia. This is a Syfy-distributed movie that is a bit too self-conscious trash movie. Phillip J. Roth was one of the producers (for some of his highlights see "Hyper Sonic" and "Dragon Fighter"). Someone has called this movie a rip-off of "Alien vs. Predator" (why not "Freddy vs. Jason" or "King Kong Vs. Godzilla") but the comparison would give it too much credit (!). The DVD cover has a spectacular image of helicopter firing missiles at the snakes. Not going to happen.

Rating: So bad it is good 

Starring: David Hewlett, Jaime Bergman, Kirk B.R. Woller, Adamo Palladino (as Adam Kendrick), Angel Boris Reed, Marianne Stanicheva, Griff Furst, Ivo Naidenov, George R. Sheffey, Atanas Srebrev, Harry Anichkin, Jeff Rank, Assen Blatechki, Velizar Binev, Jonas Talkington, Nikolai Sotirov, Ryan Spike Dauner, Dessi Morales, John Hansson, Uti Bachvarov, Edward McDermott, D.J. Johnson, John Klimas, Andres Rojas, Michelle Llorens, Shero Rauf 
Director: David Flores

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Lohikäärme Justus ja Taikuri Savinen

Lohikäärme Justus ja Taikuri Savinen 
(rough translations: "Justus the Dragon" and "Clay the Magician") 
YLE, Finland 1977-1991.

Introducing classic Finnish children's TV shows from 1970-90s! 

"Justus the Dragon" and "Clay the Magician" are nostalgic clay animations made for children and shown originally in Finnish TV. The DVD contains 8 episodes of "Lohikäärme Justus" (1983) (translated: Justus the Dragon), five episodes of "Justus maailmalla" (1991) (translated: Justus goes abroad) and five episodes (of total of 15) of "Taikuri Savinen" (1978) (translated: Clay the Magician). The series were animated by Tuula Pukkila. Unfortunately there are no English subs. All series fully utilize the properties of modelling clay and the characters can curl themselves into a ball or disc.

Both series were voiced by Erkki Thil (all episodes) and also Riitta Räty (some episodes of "Justus goes abroad.") 

Other animations by Pukkila include clay animation "Pallerot" (Small Spheres), quite experimental show that has small spheres dancing and forming flowers and other objects. Sadly "Pallerot" is nowadays quite forgotten series. 

Justus the Dragon (Lohikäärme Justus)
"Justus the Dragon" was scripted by Lea Himberg. It is the story of small friendly dragon whose wings have not yet grown. Justus changes colour depending on his mood. Justus lives in mountains with his friends Mountain Goat and group of intelligent flowers. The series has themes of friendship and helping others.
Justus and the flowers
Mountain Goat
1. Justus can't fly (Justus ei osaa lentää)
Justus practises flying but his wings have not yet grown. Two other dragons fly away for dragon convention. His friends Mountain Goat and the flowers cheer up the sad dragon.
Adult dragons
2. Justus gets sick (Justus sairastuu)
Justus goes swimming and catches cold. Mountain Goat goes to find medicine.

3. Justus and little people (Justus ja pikkuihmiset)
Justus and Mountain Goat hide when humans arrive to mountains. Two kids are lost in the mountains and need help.
Little people
4. Justus exercises (Justus voimistelee)
Justus wants to fly so he straightens his muscles.
Justus exercises
5. The quarreling flowers (Kukkien Tora)
Sun is shining and the flowers argue who will get most of the sun light. Justin sings a song for them.
Justus plays a song
6. New friend (Uusi ystävä)
Justus meets caterpillars and butterflies. Mountain goat gets a girlfriend but Justus is jealous.

7. The return of the dragons (Lohikäärmeiden paluu)
The other dragons return but both have injuries from flight accidents. They bring flight manual to Justus.

8. Justus flies (Justus lentää)
Justus finally gets his wings.
New wings!

Justus Goes Abroad (Justus maailmalla)
A sequel series to "Justus the Dragon." Now Justus can fly so he goes to explore the world. He meets different people who are often first afraid of him, but soon they become friends. This series has more human characters and more variable backgrounds.

1. Justus goes abroad (Justus lähtee maailmalle)
Friends of Justus warn him not to get in trouble when he flies to explore the world. Justus does not listen.

2. Justus in the land of windmills (Justus tuulimyllyjen maassa)
Air pollution makes Justus temporarily blind and he has to land in Netherlands. He gets caught in windmill but the locals help him.
Dutch people
3. Justus and snow (Justus ja lumi)
It is cold and Justus falls into a snowdrift. Two skiers help him.

4. Justus in Peru (Justus Perussa)
Justus goes to Machu Picchu where he first gets cold shoulder. There are strange earthquakes but Justus saves the day.
Peruvian people
5. Justus goes to foreign mountains (Justus lähtee vieraille vuorille)
An old lady asks what it is like around the world. Justus finds mountains with other dragons.


Clay the Magician (Taikuri Savinen)
"Clay the Magician" stories have ecological themes. Clay tries to maintain the balance of humans and nature. Clay's spells do not always go as wished but luckily he has a magic ball that helps. Being made earlier than "Justus" the animation style is not yet as refined and the human characters look very much the same.
Clay the Magician

1. Elmo the animal searcher (Elmu eläinten etsijä)
Elmo tries to find animals but does not find any. Clay creates a tree that is full of animals.
Clay and Elmo
2. Rick the trekker (Riku retkeilijä)
Clay's bunny friend is stuck in an empty can. The forest is full of trash left by Rick.
Clay and bunny
Rick throws trash in the forest

3. Tate the road builder (Tate tientekijä)
Tate is building a road that goes over foxes nest. Clay intervenes and suggests an alternative route.
Tate builds the road
4. Noise barrier (Meluvalli)
The road traffic is noisy and disturbs the animals. Clay must create noise barrier. However he first misunderstands the concept: the barrier is not supposed to be noisy.

5. Dream about city (Uni kaupungista)
The bunny has a nightmare about city without trees and flowers. The dream seems to be accurate. Clay paints the gray houses more colourful.
Bunny in grey city
Happy citizens

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