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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Winged Horse remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for the really early, slightly unhinged days of animation, you'll probably get a kick out of this. If you need a coherent story or pacing that makes sense, stay far away. This is pure, distilled nonsense.
The whole thing feels like a fever dream you’d have after eating too much cheese. One minute you’re watching someone ride an elephant, the next the Mouse Vizier is zooming off on a carpet. The logic is nonexistent, but honestly, who cares?
There is something weirdly charming about the background art. It’s all very flat and dusty, but it sets a mood. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Cricket, where everything just sort of happens because it has to.
The Mouse Vizier is a total creep, let's be real. His whole plan is just… kidnapping? The animators clearly spent way more time on his expressions than the actual anatomy of the camels. The camels have these awkward, stiff legs that barely move right. It’s hilarious.
The middle stretch is just people chasing each other. It gets repetitive fast. I found myself staring at the background textures more than the action. You can tell they were trying to fill space with those elephants.
It’s nowhere near as polished as the stuff that came later, but it has heart. It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It’s just trying to be loud and move fast. If you've ever seen The Life and Death of 9413, a Hollywood Extra, you know that weird, experimental stuff is often the most fun to watch, even when it fails.
Honestly, the best part is how abruptly it ends. No big resolution, no lesson learned. Just stops. Like the projector suddenly jammed. I respect that level of commitment to being weird.