When the Wind Blows

I have no idea why this movie is all 4’s and 5’s. I do not see the dark comedy or the tragedy or the pathos or anything. All I saw was a terribly boring movie. During the Cold War, an elderly British couple hear of the possibility of impending nuclear war. The movie movies at a pace that makes “leisurely” look like a NASCAR race. They both lived through World War 2 and romanticize it, all the while seemingly oblivious to the horrors of it or of their current situation. Their preparations are less than minimal, as the husband leans a couple doors against the wall and they hide under that. And as the fallout and nuclear winter sets in, their obliviousness remains. They assume the milkman will be by soon, that newspaper delivery will resume, and life will return to normal in a matter of days, even as radiation sickness starts to slowly kill them. And THAT’S ALL THIS MOVIE IS. Two old people who are almost impossibly unaware of their surroundings. It would be one thing if their attitudes turned when the bomb dropped, but nope, for 80 minutes, they are stubbornly clueless, and it is tiring. Even when things start to go downhill, they’re complacent and calm, and it is so dull. So, so dull. The animation is nice, and the mix of that and stop motion is cool. There’s some really cool art, especially when the bomb drops. One sequence, showing cars being blown off the road, looks like if the “Take On Me” video were rendered in amber. I love the art in this movie. But the story itself is a slog. There is no energy, just watching two rock-stupid people make the worst choices to ensure their death in a situation they damned well should know better about.