In a very different 1941 France, a teenage girl named April looks for clues about her missing parents, two of the many scientists who have mysteriously disappeared over the course of 70 years.
I didn’t know much about April and the Extraordinary World ahead of time, but the steampunk aspects, animation style and strong reviews piqued my interest. What I found was a fantastic adventure that built logically and gradually from an initial twist, like all great science fiction. April’s journey is a joy to tag along with, complimenting a tense dramatic underlying story with the perfect touches of humor. There are some cliched elements towards the end, but even they fit beautifully into the overall narrative.
Equally impressive to the story are the evocative visuals that bring April’s tale to life. She inhabits an incredibly imaginative and realized steampunk world, which is just overflowing with inspired and unique designs.
I adore movies that impart a true sense of wonder, and April and the Extraordinary World has it in spades. This French movie is reminiscent of some of the great Japanese animated features I’ve seen, and an easy recommendation for any animation and/or steampunk fans.
Derailments of Thought 