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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Candyland remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a massive sweet tooth for early animation history or just want to see something truly bizarre. If you are looking for a grounded narrative, you're going to hate this. It’s a fever dream, plain and simple.
The Sandman shows up, grabs a kid and his dog, and suddenly we are in the clouds. It’s the kind of logic that only makes sense when you're half-asleep.
The middle chunk of the film is just the King showing off his workers. They are all frantically making candy. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Forward Pass, though with way more fondant and way less football.
The artistic candy-work is genuinely impressive for the time. But man, the Rhythmettes’ musical numbers? They really push the limits of how much upbeat, peppy energy a person can handle in ten minutes. 🍬
There’s a moment where a worker creates a candy sculpture that looks like it took hours, only for the King to barely glance at it. It’s weirdly dismissive! I felt bad for the little guy.
Everything is so bright it almost hurts your eyes. It makes the grittier stuff like The Crash feel like it’s from an entirely different planet. Sometimes I wonder if these animators were eating the props, too.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely something. You can tell they were trying to outdo everyone else in the industry. It’s a bit like watching a frantic dance-off where the stakes are just sugar cubes. Don't expect to walk away with deep insights, just a bit of a headache and a craving for a snack.