Mutafukaz
Mutafukaz[lower-alpha 1] (Japanese: ムタフカズ －MUTAFUKAZ－, Hepburn: Mutafukazu, released as MFKZ in some markets)[4] is a 2017 adult animated science fiction film based on the comic series and the short film of the same name.[5] The film was a French-Japanese co-production between Ankama Animations and Studio 4°C[2] and is directed by Shōjirō Nishimi and Guillaume "Run" Renard.[6] The comic was published in English as Mutafukaz by Titan Comics with only one volume released on October 27, 2015.[7] Mutafukaz was released in France on May 23, 2018 and in Japan on October 12, 2018.
| Mutafukaz | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Guillaume "Run" Renard |
| Based on | Mutafukaz by Guillaume "Run" Renard Mutafukaz: Operation Blackhead by Team Chman |
| Starring |
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| Music by | The Toxic Avenger Guillaume Houzé |
| Edited by | Ivy Buirette Marie-Laure Vanglabeke |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Tamasa (France) Parco (Japan) |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
| Country | France Japan |
| Language | French[2] |
| Box office | $461,724[3] |
Plot
A young woman carrying an infant is chased by black-suited men. Some of the men are killed by a dog who sprouts black tentacles, the woman manages to hide the baby in a dumpster before she was killed by one of the men.
Years later, the infant, now a grown young adult named Angelino, lives in a run-down apartment in Dark Meat City (DMC) with his friend Vinz and countless "pet" cockroaches. While making a delivery, Angelino is distracted by Luna, a beautiful young woman, and is hit by a truck. This causes Angelino to start having headaches, see weird things, and end up getting chased by strange men in black suits (MIB). Angelino calls his friend Willy and hide in the rundown crime neighborhood, Palm Hills. Angelino and his Vinz are later found again by the MIB, lead by a white-suited man named Bruce, who engage the local gangs in a gunfight, killing people from both sides. Elsewhere, a Luchador tells his comrades about a vision he had about a potential evil they must combat.
In the restaurant they frequent, Angelino and Vinz run into Luna, who is actually working with the MIB and gets the two captured. Luna's father, Mr. K, is the leader of an alien race called Macho who have infiltrated the Earth including politicians and the police in order to eventually colonize the planet. Angelino is the child of a Macho father and a human woman which results in unpredictable and potentially powerful combinations that Mr. K wants to exploit. Mr. K tries to brainwash Angelino and convince him to kill his friend Vinz, while Luna switches sides after witnessing Angelino's past. They are rescued by the group of Luchadors who have followed Angelino's pet cockroaches that instinctively tracked Angelino down, and are joined by a scientist named Fagor who was the only one out of several kidnapped scientists working with the Macho.
Crocodile (a MIB from earlier) arrives at Willy's house and holds him hostage. Angelino and Vinz decide to return and Angelino rescues Willy. The Luchadores and Fagor launch the rocket, triggering it to snow across the country, freezing and killing all of the hidden Macho, while causing a news helicopter to crash, destroying Willy's house and killing Crocodile. Angelino, being half Macho, begins freezing, but is saved by Luna's kiss. Bruce arrives for a climactic fight against Angelino, but while Angelino refuses to use his Macho powers, the local gangs gun down Bruce as revenge for previously invading their hood.
Two months later, everything goes back to "normal" with people forgetting about the incident. Vinz finally gets a job at the restaurant they frequent. Angelino writes letters to Luna who disappeared after his fight with Bruce despite not knowing where in DMC she is. Willy, who also disappeared after the fight, creates his first music single. Mr. K is shown to have survived and has set up a base on the moon, where he begins sending UFOs to potentially invade earth.
Voice cast
French cast
English cast
- Kenn Michael as Angelino[8]
- Vince Staples as Vinz[8]
- Dino Andrade as Willy[4]
- Michael Chiklis as Agent Randy Crocodile[4]
- Giancarlo Esposito as Mr. K[4]
- Jorge Gutierrez as El Tigre[4]
- Dascha Polanco as Luna[4]
- RZA as Shakespeare (a.k.a. Popeye)[4]
- Danny Trejo as Bruce[4]
- Bill Lobley as Professor Fagor
- Antonio Alvarez as El Diablo
Release
Mutafukaz had its world premiere on June 13, 2017 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[2] The film was released in France on May 23, 2018. Parco released the film in Japan on October 12, 2018.[9][10] GKIDS released the English dub of the film in a limited theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada on October 11 and October 16, 2018.[4][11]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 39% based on 18 reviews with an average rating of 4.90/10.[12]
References
- Mutafukaz - Annecy Film Credits
- Mutafukaz - Annecy Programme
- "MFKZ (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
- MFKZ in Select U.S. Cinemas Nationwide on October 11 & 16
- Lang, Jamie (June 11, 2017). "Annecy: See the First English-Subtitled Trailer for Ankama's 'Mutafukaz' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- Lang, Jamie (June 12, 2017). "Mutafukaz creator-director Guillaume 'Run' Renard talks inspiration, animation and adaptation". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- Titan Comics to publish Mutafukaz
- Blais-Billie, Braudie; Strauss, Matthew (September 27, 2018). "Watch a New Trailer for the Vince Staples-Starring Anime Film MFKZ". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- French-Japanese “Mutafukaz” by STUDIO 4°C Gets Japan Release!
- Goodfellow, Melanie (February 15, 2018). "Celluloid Dreams sells 'Mutafukaz' to UK, Germany (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- French, Alan (July 26, 2018). "GKIDS picks up North American Rights to MFKZ". Awards Circuit. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- "MFKZ (2018)- Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
Notes
- An eye dialect of "mother fuckers".
