Plot: What’s it about?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were a bunch of thumbs. One such thumb was Loke Groundrunner, a young boy living on his Uncle’s farm with some large scale dreams, as well as a penchant to whine all the time. As Loke lives his usual routine, high above a Thumbpire ship has overtaken a ship from the Thumbellion, which could mean serious problems. On board the Thumbellion ship was Princess Bunhead, the leader of the movement and by her side, idiotic digits Prissypeo and Beboobeep, who stage a daring (yeah right) escape. In truth, the digits sell out their master in order to survive, but end up in the right place, on the same farm where Loke lives. After Loke runs into Oobedoob Benubi, he is able to unlock the hidden message within Beboobeep, which contains the distress call from Princess Bunhead. Can Loke, Oobedoob, and the digits somehow charter a ship to help them rescue Bunhead, or will Black Helmet Man and his evil Thumbpire be allowed to rule with an iron thumb forever?
I love a good spoof and Star Wars is the perfect target, since the fanbase is so rabid and oblivious to the countless flaws within. Unlike most parodies, Thumb Wars has a mean streak and takes potshots at the material, which I think is hilarious. I like Star Wars and all, but it is not a flawless series and Thumb Wars points out some of the obvious mistakes, in humorous fashion, of course. Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Nothing to Lose) directs and supplies most of the voices, which works out well enough, as the voices seem different enough. Now as far as the thumb issue, it is kind of freaky at first, but then only gets even more unsettling. The movement on the eyes and mouths is fantastic, very active and natural, much better than expected. It takes some getting used to, but Oedekerk’s crew has done some terrific work, I think. I also love the mini sets, costumes, and even the computer graphics look cool, if cheese laden at times. A very humorous and worthwhile short film, Thumb Wars is more than recommended, especially in a well put together package like this, available for under ten bucks at stores.
Video: How does it look?
Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. The image here is superb, which is impressive, since this was a low budget project shot onto video, often a recipe for visual disaster. But the image is strong at all times, starting off with a pristine source print and flawless compression work. The colors are vivid and bold, with natural “thumb” hues, while contrast is even handed and never falters. In short, this is an excellent visual effort that allows all the splendor of “thumbation” to stream across the screen.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix which sounds good, but don’t expect too much from this kind of material. The surrounds see little action, but are fired up at times and in those instances, the channels are well used. I’d rather have a less active, but natural mix like than a gimmick laden soundtrack, so I am pleased with the results here. The zaps, buzzes, whirrs, beeps, vocals, and even the cheese laden score all sound good here. You can also choose a 2.0 mix, in case that better suits your home theater needs.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Although this disc retails for under ten bucks, it still packs a decent selection of extras. The main extra is an audio commentary track with director Steve Oedekerk and producer Paul Marshall, who share a lot of information in the film’s brief running time. The majority of the session is jokes of course, but some decent tech info is also covered, which is cool. This disc also includes some storyboards, a bonus interview with Gabba the Butt, and trailers for this and other “thumbation” features, which I hope are released soon.
