A collection of shorts from the award-winning Goofa Man studios, “The Goofa Man Collection” shows off just what one determined man with a computer and some handy friends and family can do.
And just what one determined man with a computer and some handy friends and family can do is produce a real mixed bag of plotlines. We’ve got tiny invaders that conquer a bathroom, the end of a fish, an alien world facing urban renewal and real estate development, the home shopping network of the not-too-distant future (maybe next Sunday, A.D.? Who knows?), a disgruntled starship captain making first contact with a generous alien race, a father-and-son surveyor mission and the galaxy’s most valuable asteroid that’s hiding an impressive surprise.The first thing missing that I wish I would have found sooner is a “Play all” button. That really, really would have been welcome.
But that small problem aside, I genuinely liked “The Goofa Man Collection.” Granted, some of the shorts were more effective than others; I found “A City of Flimjees” much better for the kiddie set, and “Far Away Eyes” was a bit syrupy for my taste. But “Fantastic Fortune” dealt with an area of science fiction I find sorely underserved, namely asteroid mining. “Electronic Things of the Future”, meanwhile, was just an all-around hoot. Yet despite my issues with some, on the whole, they were all pretty solidly put together, looked great, and even the worst of the bunch had its moments.All in all, excellent music and excellent animation come together to make some solid short films. If Fisher isn’t thinking feature, maybe he should be.
