DbcultAccessing Vault...
4.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Health Farm remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school, rubbery animation where physics takes a vacation, you’ll probably get a kick out of this. If you need a plot that makes sense, keep walking. It’s for fans of those frantic, bouncy cartoons from the 30s that feel like they were fueled by nothing but black coffee and pure chaos. ☕️
Farmer Al Falfa is basically the star here, but he mostly just gets shoved around by his own equipment. The whole setup is just an excuse to have characters get mangled by rowing machines and steam boxes. It’s slapstick, through and through.
Then there’s Kiko the Kangaroo. Why is he here? I don’t know. Why is he a private eye now? Even less of a clue. But suddenly the cartoon stops being a goofy workout montage and starts feeling like a low-rent version of The Studio Murder Mystery, except with more fur and less grit.
The transition is jarring. One second we’re watching a dumbbell bounce off a head, the next we’re hunting down a criminal. It’s like the animators got bored halfway through and just decided to add a mystery plot for kicks.
Specific details that stuck out:
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Trolley Ahoy, where everything is constantly moving even when it shouldn't be. Characters are always stretching, shrinking, or turning into literal pretzels. It’s exhausting to look at, honestly.
The big reward scene at the end feels tacked on, like they realized they needed to wrap things up so they just tossed some money at the screen. It doesn't matter though. You aren't here for the narrative structure. You’re here for the kangaroo boxing a guy in a trench coat.
It’s not high art. It’s barely even medium art. But it’s got this weird, twitchy rhythm that you don't really see anymore. Just don't ask too many questions about why a kangaroo is working as a bouncer at a health spa. It ruins the vibe. 🦘