Intro: Like most people I saw Killer Bean 2 on one of those Internet video sites. And thought wow how amazing is this. An amazing animated short that was done by one single person. Now doing a short film is one thing but doing a full feature is another. Pixar and other animation studios have drones of workers making their latest animated flicks and have funds of. That Jeff Lew even dare to do it himself was inspirational to all aspiring animators.
Story:Animation director Jeff Lew has posted the entire opening scene for Killer Bean Forever, an independent animated film that took him five grueling years to produce just by himself. Best known for his sensational short film Killer Bean 2 in 2000, he has since gained an impressive resume working on X-Men, The Matrix Reloaded and the highly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The first scene comprised about 6 minutes of crazy action goodness and silly humor that no self-respecting animation fan can afford to miss. It got break-dancing. It got gun-fu. And it even got a Vince Carter slam dunk. What more can you ask for? This is more fun than a barrels of monkey. It could be any urban jungle in the world. Warehouses full of illegal merchandise, machine gun toting mobsters, and a police force stretched thin. Except that this is Beantown! A world of break dancing, gun-toting bad ass coffee beans, covert bean assassins, slacker mob beans, mercenary bean battalions, and twitching trigger-fingered bean cops! Enter KILLER BEAN – the most ruthless, reckless, dazzling coffee bean assassin to ever lay foot in Beantown! In a spectacle of gun wielding artistry and jaw-dropping martial arts, Killer Bean attacks a warehouse full of partying thugs. Mob boss Cappuccino, threatened by the assault on his warehouse, fortifies for retaliation.
Detective Cromwell, a lawman obsessed with Cappuccino, is forced to choose between apprehending Killer Bean or encouraging his vigilante agenda.
Killer Bean needs no friends and soon finds out that he has none when the covert agency that he works for calls for his death. With wise-cracking bravado, Killer Bean blazes his way through a relentless onslaught of elaborate gun fights and over the top face-offs to the ultimate showdown between himself and a mysterious assassin from the East.
Opinion: I thought I was going to see wall to wall action scenes in the 85 minute feature film. Instead I saw a character driven well paced film with a bit of film noir thrown in. Each frame you can see Jeff Lew's attention to detail. The scenes were setup so camera angles were perfect and seamless. By the end of the 85 minutes I was impressed by Jeff Lew's debut film.
Extras: The extras alone make this well worth the price of the dvd. The behinds the scene, commentary, and additional footage will provides hours of viewing pleasure. Anyone who wants to know the process of making this film will learn a lot through all the extras on this dvd.
Conclusion: Killer Bean Forever is the best animated flick I have seen in 2009. It has action, drama, comedy, fight scenes, and story that make it the must see film of this year. If you haven't order this DVD then you’re missing out on a hidden gem. Can't wait to see what Jeff Lew comes out with next.
5 out of 5
To order this film on DVD you can purchase at Killer Bean Forever official website HERE
