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7.3/10
Archivist John
Senior Editor
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ko-Ko's Earth Control remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a few minutes today and want to see the world fall apart because of a dog, this is for you. It’s actually pretty funny in a dark way.
People who love old, hand-drawn animation should definitely see this. If you only like 3D stuff with perfect lighting, you’ll probably hate how shaky and weird it looks.
It starts with Ko-Ko and Fitz just walking around. They find this house that says "Control of the Earth" on it.
I love how there is no security. They just walk right in like they own the place.
Inside, there are all these levers for things like "Day" and "Night." It’s such a strange, simple idea of how the universe works.
Fitz, the dog, is the real problem here. He looks so suspicious from the start.
He sees a lever that says "The End of the World" and you just know what's going to happen. Why would anyone build a lever that just ends everything?
The lever isn't even behind glass. It's just there, waiting for a dog to pull it.
When he finally pulls it, the movie gets really chaotic. Everything starts wobbling.
The way the buildings bend and sway is actually kind of impressive for 1928. It reminds me of the energy in The Perfect Clown, but way more surreal.
There’s a scene where the ground literally splits open. People are falling into nothingness.
It feels a bit like a fever dream. The Fleischers had this way of making cartoons feel slightly dangerous.
I noticed a small detail where the stars start falling out of the sky like they are just lightbulbs. It’s a tiny moment but it’s so cool.
The animation on Fitz’s face when he realizes he messed up is great. He looks genuinely worried for a second before everything goes to hell.
The pace is so fast that you don't really have time to think about the logic. It’s just one disaster after another.
Some of the background characters look like they were drawn in a huge hurry. It adds to the messy feeling of the apocalypse.
I kept thinking about how this compares to other stuff from that era, like Running Wild. This is much more imaginative, I think.
The ending is incredibly abrupt. The world just... blows up?
And then they are back in the inkwell. It’s such a classic trope but it works every time.
It makes you feel like the whole disaster was just a joke. Which it was, I guess.
There is a weird flicker in the film during the earthquake scenes. It actually makes it feel more intense, even if it’s just because the film is old.
I wonder if kids back then found this scary. I think I would have been a little bit traumatized by the sun exploding.
The music—if you find a version with the original style—is usually very bouncy. It creates this weird contrast with the total destruction on screen.
It’s not a masterpiece of storytelling, but it’s visually wild. Sometimes that’s all you need from a six-minute short.
I wish modern cartoons had this much nerve. They don't usually let the main characters blow up the sun anymore.
Anyway, it’s worth a watch if you can find a good print. Just don't expect a happy ending for the Earth.
IMDb 6.3
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