Film Review: ‘Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker’

Let me get this out there: I’m not a big fantasy or sci-fi guy. I’ve seen all the Harry Potter installments (meh) and didn’t even care to watch all the Lord of the Rings ones. I’d rather spend three hours trapped in an elevator with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West than watch Avatar again. And although I loved the Transformers toys as a kid, the films (and anything else with Michael Bay’s name attached to it) and others that prominently feature explosions, lens flares, shiny things, or “fight sequences” just make my eyes gloss over and I pass out. I mean, I of course love the original Star Wars films – because I’m not a monster – and one of my favorite movies is 12 Monkeys. I also dig sci-fi cartoons like Futurama and Rick and Morty, because they’re hilarious. But Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, the animated short film from the mind of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves front-man Tom DeLonge, isn’t a comedy, and it’s something totally unfamiliar to me. However, I enjoy the concept of lucid dreaming (Waking Life, anyone?) and was willing to give this one a shot.

“In the Dream World, power and adventure belong to the Lucid Dreamers, while Night Terrors haunt the troubled and the helpless. A lucky few are watched over by mysterious guardians. The protectors of our shared unconscious lives are known as…Dream Walkers.” This was the first slide of the film, and it nicely set up the story of Poet Anderson, a dreamer plagued by horrible, violent nightmares that foil his attempts to rest and have left him a prisoner in both a sleep science center and his own mind. After his Dream Walker is cut down in the line of duty, Poet assumes his role, acting to protect himself and his love interest, Sam.

For a short film, I must say, I was entertained. The main characters were established nicely in their limited time, and their style and look was very unique. The animation was almost like the old Gorillaz videos, with a touch of A Clockwork Orange. It was crisp, colorful (especially considering how dark everything was), and the detail was astounding. At a time when I would normally be zoning out (such as the aforementioned action sequences), I found myself mystified by the complexity of the animation. This turned out to be true throughout the film’s entire fast-paced run-time. (Animation side note: Am I the only one that was creeped out by the kid’s face in the “From the Imagination of Tom DeLonge” intro?)

I also appreciated the voice acting, because it was unlike what you’d hear in most animated films. It was, frankly, real. The female voices weren’t high and squeaky while the men didn’t all sound like Prince Charming, which seems like the norm in most cartoon movies.

Of course the soundtrack should be addressed as well. The film is paired with Angels & Airwaves’ upcoming release, “The Dream Walker,” which will drop on December 9th, and numerous songs pop up in Poet Anderson. I’m not particularly a fan of the band’s sound, but it undoubtedly works with the tone of the film, and the other sounds and background music do a good job of setting the emotion for each scene.

When it comes down to it, I was surprisingly entertained by Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker. Would I watch a full-length film version? Probably not. I have a very short attention span. But for anyone who enjoys animated sci-fi/fantasy films, or Angels & Airwaves, or both, this is definitely worth a look. Make no mistake, Poet isn’t a cheap video clip thrown together just to promote the band’s new album. It is clear that Tom DeLonge put an awful lot of his passion, imagination, and heart into this film, and he surrounded himself with a solid team (including directors Edgar & Sergio Martins) that was willing & able to provide a high-quality polished product.