Jason Sondhi

The premise is silly, but in spite of that, or maybe because of it, Bruno Collet’s 8-min stop-motion film is a lot of fun. A fan-favorite everywhere it played on the 2009 festival circuit, the film has been denied its rightful place in popular culture due to lack of exposure—existing only as a $1.99 download on iTunes for a couple of years. But now, ARTE, the French/German cultural agency has it streaming on their website, so we get to share it with you.

While funny, the film is also very accomplished in its animation and tone. Bruce wakes up inside his original toy packaging in the apartment of a collector geek (conveniently hung over so as not to notice the imminent chaos), and acquaints himself with his new body and surroundings. The climactic scene is of course a fight, but Collet has a lot of fun with tiny moments—Bruce’s changing facial expressions when he notices a toy motorcycle, or his reaction to seeing a giant Chuck Norris cutout, are priceless. The animation is surprisingly fluid, especially during Lee’s warming up moments, as he bounces on his toes and rolls his shoulders, evidence that Collet really did study Lee’s body of work, as the mannerisms are unmistakeable.

Additionally what is surprising is that, without being melodramatic about it, Collet manages to turn this absurd premise into something with surprising depth. Perhaps I was supplying a level of empathy not earned by the film, but the relatively slow nature of the proceedings allowed me to really feel for Bruce on occasion and imagine his thought processes, being thrust into this unfamiliar world with a limited body.

Buffering is a bit slow due to not having YouTube or Vimeo as a host, but stick with it, as this is an accomplished short film that transcends its viral premise to deliver some great action, a few laughs, and maybe, a little introspection.