Jungle Race: A Blood-Soaked Planet of the Apes Meets Wacky Races

If you cross Planet of the Apes (featuring more simian species than usual) with Wacky Races and get Quentin Tarantino to direct, then I am pretty sure the result would be something like Jungle Race in all its blood and guts brilliance.  It is set at some point in the near future (love the city backdrops, overtaken by nature) where humanity has disappeared, leaving behind the ruins and a few parting gifts -cars that still work is the one the monkeys most prize (and there are even some motorbikes too).  There’s even a little homage to Herbie inside here – the Volkswagen one chimp character is driving has the number 53 painted on its rear (yay!).

This is gloriously gory stuff – please don’t watch it if you are of a delicate disposition.  It’s mindless violence is something that will keep you up at night.  On the other hand, is also a fierce satire of our spectacle-driven society, where violence becomes entertainment, driven by an energetic, fast-paced edit, colourful art direction and a succession of spectacular action scenes.  Jungle Race was created by ten little monkeys from Brassart Grenoble (I spent a wonderful exchange visit there when I was 15), Nathan Stefen, Thomas Marsaudon, Tristan Forcheron, Justine Perrin, Loïc Noailhat, Charles Lardenois, Cyprien Cotton, Ezvin Manhes, Quentin Steinhilber, and Camille Tessier. Music is by Rémi Dutriez and Axel Leclère “Dogma”, with sound design by Coline ColombeT, Dan Ravot, and Benjamin Macé.