With Earth not seeing any rain for centuries, a group of post-apocalyptic environmentalists try to save the world in the stop-motion short film Las Nogas.
Has it really been five years since we reviewed Catya Plate’s Meeting MacGuffin? Time really does fly. It was such a nice surprise to find that Las Nogas – the third and final film in Plate’s stop-motion eco trilogy arrived on our desks, especially after so many years. The trilogy has taken over ten years to complete, and after watching each one, and witnessing the effort and imagination needed to create such works, it is easy to see why.
Set 500 years in the future, the Earth has suffered from a terrible drought, yet the planet’s survivors are determined to put things right. Alma (voiced by Misty Lee) is busy with her experiments when she receives a letter from Hitch (John McBride). Whilst reading the letter, we the viewer, are transported to Hitch’s laboratory where he is trying to save the day himself.
With the help of a group of bees, Hitch is trying to remove the water from the blood of the friendly Homeys and it looks like he is making progress, that is until the Homeys become ill, with red blotches upon their faces. MacGuffin (Phil Miler) arrives at Hitch’s home to try and help, but it is not until Alma shows up that everything is put back on track, as she deduces the Homey’s ailments, tends to them, and gets the show back on the road.
As stated above, the time and effort that are put into Catya Plate’s works are nothing less than awe-inspiring. The meticulous approach needed to make stop-motion work is tremendous, and even though Plate didn’t do it alone, her crew size isn’t substantial, and every member deserves a round of applause for their work.
All the voice actors do a great job, and it was great to hear Misty Lee as Alma. Having lent her voice to some massive video game and TV franchises, such as God of War, Spider-Man, The Last of US, Star Wars, Mass Effect & Call of Duty, Lee is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the world, and it’s easy to see (or hear) why.
Plate’s trilogy of stop-motion shorts will impress and entertain adults and children alike, and the shorts also have an important message regarding the effect we humans have on the planet we call home. It’s sad that her trilogy has come to an end, but also exciting to think about what is coming next from the filmmaker. Maybe a series? Maybe a feature? Maybe another short film? Whichever it is, you can rest assured that we at Screen Critix will be eagerly waiting to see, even if it does take another five years.
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