Film Review: Heavy Metal (1981)

Heavy Metal is perhaps the most ambitious animated film you've never seen. Released in 1981, Heavy Metal is an animated anthology horror/science fiction film about a mysterious green orb, the Loc-Nar, that claims to be the embodiment of all evil. This creature traps a young girl in her own home and forces her to listen to six bizarre tales of his conquests. Visually impressive, inventive, graphic, erotic, and disturbing, Heavy Metal is not your average animated film.

The first segment in Heavy Metal is "Harry Canyon." A NYC taxi cab driver becomes involved with a young woman desperately trying to protect her life and a mysterious artifact - the Loc-Nar. The dystopian setting of a corrupt New York in the distant future seems like a distinct possibility for the future. This helps make Harry Canyon come across as the most realistic segment of the entire film.

The second segment in Heavy Metal is "Den." A teenager finds the Loc-Nar and, during an experiment, transforms into a muscle bound hero named Den in a world called Neverwhere. The voice acting is top notch from John Candy in this short. The original story by Richard Corben was the origin of the Loc-Nar character.

The third segment in Heavy Metal is "Captain Sternn." A space captain is put on trial for despicable crimes. This is the most ambiguous segment because of the use of the Loc-Nar. From a writing standpoint, Captain Sternn is easily the most intriguing segment of the film.

The fourth segment in Heavy Metal is "B-17". A WWII fighter jet comes in contact with the Loc-Nar, raising the dead and sending the return mission into chaos. Interestingly enough, this segment was adapted from the same screenplay that also led to Alien. However, the stories couldn't be any more different from each other.

The fifth segment in Heavy Metal is "So Beautiful, So Dangerous." A secretary at the Pentagon is abducted by a spaceship for her connection to the Loc-Nar. This is arguably the weakest scenario in the film. It's main purpose seems to be sexually showcasing the secretary character for as long as possible.

The final segment is Heavy Metal is "Taarna." A lone warrior, the last of her race, is the only one who can destroy the Loc-Nar. This segment is powerful and inventive, and is a fitting finale for a bizarre and powerful film.

For fifteen years, because of the use of popular music, Heavy Metal was unavailable on home video. Now that it's been readily available for over ten years, it's time for more people to see it. While the critics didn't warm up to it during 1981, a modern appreciation for animation as an art form could change that perspective.