Cool World

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Cool World

PG-13

Released Jul 10, 1992

1h 42m

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

4%

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51 Reviews

31%

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50,000+ Ratings

After a bizarre incident, Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) is transported into the cartoon realm of Cool World, where he remains the only human among various animated characters for years. Eventually, artist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) also enters Cool World and sets his lustful sights on his own creation, a blond bombshell named Holli Would (Kim Basinger). However, excessive intermingling between cartoons and humans is said to lead to dire consequences, a risk Jack seems ready to take.

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Critics Consensus

Cool World throws a small handful of visual sparks, but they aren't enough to distract from the screenplay's thin characters and scattered plot.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

A few of Bakshi`s inventions, such as a rattled telephone that panics every time it rings, are amusing and well animated, but most of the characters are grating and dislikable.

Rated: 1/4

May 4, 2014

Full Review

Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Times

What Bakshi and his screenwriters don't recognize is that even dream worlds have their own fierce logic.

May 4, 2014

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

Watching Byrne, Basinger and Pitt struggle to bring verisimilitude to this cockeyed business is painful. And watching the parade of ricocheting doodles is just headache-inducing.

Rated: 1.5/4

May 4, 2014

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The groovy animation retains its kicky charm, but everything else about this live-action/cartoon hybrid remains a hopeless mess.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 17, 2022

Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

... "Cool World" has amassed a following that would do anything for Holli. If that’s you, then snagging this collector’s edition from Shout! Factory is a no-brainer.

Sep 11, 2022

Full Review

Sergio Benítez

Espinof

The reluctant performance of the actors joins the lousy combination of live action actors and the animation - with looks and gestures that never end up agreeing. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 24, 2019

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Anderson O

Cool World is a Wild but interesting ride at best. Holli Would is definitely a Villian ahead of her time. Maybe even in 1992 society wasn’t ready for this film either, but a way outside of the box in thought Multiverse reality to cartoon worlds that collide. Brad Pitt and Kim Bassinger have great chemistry, not enough for Cool World to get a pass in its era for a good movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/20/24

Full Review

Danel C

Very bad not like animation is horrible and is for mini sexy adults 0.6/10

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

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Carlos I

It's really too bad that we couldn't get the original vision of this movie, as I suspect it would be pretty great. As it stands it really a cheap Roger Rabbit knockoff. I have always been disappointed by this movie's promise, ever since I was a kid, but viewing it with fresh eyes and expectations in check it's got some fun stuff going on.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/04/24

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Courtney K

this is not good, lol. not even a young Bradd Pitt playing dressup in his father's closet could save it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/29/24

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Noe G

Cool world is also amazing Ralph Bakshi movie i give this movie a 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Blu B

Bottom of the barrel Live Action Animation Crossover. Easily the worst of them all. What's crazy is how just nonsensical, insane, surreal, and nonsensical this is. It actually starts out good the first 5 minutes but the moment Pitt goes into Cool World it just goes nuts and forgets any sense of story, character, or just reality. The music is awful in this as well with a weird mixture of 90's music, metal, toon music, and generic tracks that never work and is just a mess. Everything else is atrociously bad. The animation doesn't come close at all to Roger Rabbit (shadows, general animation) and looks cheap. The backgrounds are like a dark Toon World that filled with crazy Looney Tunes in it. And it never makes any sense and just literally makes up rules as it goes. There are some cool ideas like Toons becoming Real and the Real/Toon Worlds but it never explains anything. Pitt's story with his Mom is forgotten, how they travel between worlds is never explained, the rules of being a Toon are never explained, how did Pitt die but didn't become a toon until it was explained a long time later is the biggest lazy writing hole I've seen in one of these types of flicks possibly ever. What's crazy is Jack becomes the main focus midway and it feels like almost two completely seperate nonsensical stories with him and Pitt tha never make a lick of sense. Also, the weird horny toons and dark humor is just insane and out of place and the toon sex is just so weird. When they interact with the toons it never comes close to the quality of Bob Hoskins. Also, I guess Holli is the villian but than she becomes the main focus and isn't but kind of becomes it at the end. It truly makes no sense at all. Skip This completely. THE worst animated live action movies I've ever seen.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

Full Review

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Ralph Bakshi

Director

Kim Basinger

Holli Would

Gabriel Byrne

Jack Deebs

Brad Pitt

Detective Frank Harris

Michele Abrams

Jennifer Malley

Deirdre O'Connell

Isabelle Malley

Cool World: Official Clip - Falling for Holli

1:53

Cool World: Official Clip - Cartoon Apocalypse

2:11

Cool World: Official Clip - The Art of Seduction

1:57

Cool World: Official Clip - Let's Make Love

2:13

Cool World: Official Clip - Keep Your Legs Crossed

2:12

Cool World: Official Clip - Crazy Doodle

1:48

Cool World: Official Clip - Superman Jack

2:10

Cool World: Official Clip - Poppers Car Chase

2:11

Cool World: Official Clip - Holli Would

2:13

Cool World: Official Clip - Keep Your Pencil in Your Pocket

2:13

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Synopsis

After a bizarre incident, Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) is transported into the cartoon realm of Cool World, where he remains the only human among various animated characters for years. Eventually, artist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) also enters Cool World and sets his lustful sights on his own creation, a blond bombshell named Holli Would (Kim Basinger). However, excessive intermingling between cartoons and humans is said to lead to dire consequences, a risk Jack seems ready to take.

Director: Ralph Bakshi
Producer: Frank Mancuso Jr.
Screenwriter: Michael Grais, Mark Victor
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1992, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.7M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

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