One of the great underrated masters of animation, Bakshi has made nine feature-length rides to the far side. No doubt one of the foremost innovators in his field, Ralph Bakshi has accumulated an impressive nine films throughout his long career. Ever since bringing the world the first X-Rated cartoon in the form of Fritz the Cat, Bakshi has continued to push the limits of taste and creativity in the animated world.
However, in a repertoire marked by envelope-pushing experimentation, there are bound to be some misfires. Here are all nine of the great Ralph Bakshi’s films as ranked by IMDb user scores.
Cool World (4.9)
A truly embarrassing outing for all involved parties, Cool World is almost universally regarded as a big miss for Ralph Bakshi. A bizarre attempt at making an erotic-mystery with both live-action and traditionally animated characters, the film is a mostly grating experience of weird character writing, poorly realized psychedelic visual sequences, and misjudged humor. The disjointed plot centers around a cartoonist who falls victim to a seduction plot by his cartoon femme fatale. Brad Pitt gives it his all, but he mostly looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. Bakshi hasn’t made an animated feature film since.
Lord of the Rings (6.2)
Long before Peter Jackson took to Middle Earth, Ralph Bakshi gave the world this long-winded animated adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epics. A notoriously troubled production, this 1978 cult-classic unfortunately falls victim to Bakshi’s technical risks. The rotoscoping techniques utilized in the film’s animation look unnerving and strange.
While the film does manage to capture the essence of Tolkien’s work, the film’s core structure is paced poorly and, again, that animation just doesn’t hold up. The film would go on to achieve a dedicated cult following after Jackson’s trilogy reignited interest in all things Middle Earth.
Fritz the Cat (6.3)
The one that started it all, Fritz the Cat was Baskhi’s introduction to the film world. Even since its initial run in 1972, the film remains shocking and vulgar in uniquely depraved ways. The first of Bakshi’s foray into hardcore stories about urban life, Fritz was a film that found underground success and helped to launch Bakshi’s filmmaking career.
Telling the story of the titular cat’s shenanigans in the streets of New York City in the 1960s, the film leaves no stone unturned in its vicious satirical tirade. While the film is dated in many ways, it’s still a fun watch that still has the power to shock in 2020.
Hey Good Lookin’ (6.3)
Hey, Good Lookin’ is Ralph Bakshi’s take on the culture of the 50s. A film that has evolved into a minor cult classic, the story revolves around the leader of a group called “The Stompers,” as they experience various antics in the streets of Brooklyn during the mid-50s.
The film, when considered in Bakshi’s entire filmography, is a bit of more-of-the-same from Bakshi’s screenwriting pen, but the animation remains stunning and weird in true form with Bakshi’s endless visual imagination. It’s not likely to convert anyone, but, among the congregation, it’s a solid offering.
Wizards (6.5)
One of Bakshi’s headiest mix of fantasy visuals and his usual wit, Wizards represents one of his most cohesive efforts. A post-apocalyptic fantasy tale, the film details a conflict between two brothers. Mixing cartoonish elves and fairies with grotesque mutant figures and footage of Adolf Hitler’s speeches, the film is quite a niche in its target market of adult audiences.
However, for the right crowd of people, Wizards maintains a cult presence. The film also represents the first entry in Bakshi’s canon that isn’t focused on the trials-and-tribulations of the urban streets.
Coonskin (6.6)
One of Bakshi’s more critically successful ventures, Coonskin returns to the anamorphic animal characters of Fritz the Cat. A controversial film about racial stereotypes and the Harlem crime racket, Coonskin is one of Bakshi’s boldest statements. The voice cast is excellent in this entry, especially Barry White, and the mixture of live-action sequences with animation is a largely successful venture. A film that has received much more positive retrospective reviews than its initial release in 1975, Coonskin continued to prove Ralph Bakshi as a singular talent.
Fire and Ice (6.6)
The last movie Bakshi made for almost a decade, Fire and Ice represents the final film in his unofficial fantasy trilogy. The film continued Bakshi’s use of rotoscoping techniques to achieve a realistic movement in the animated characters. The risk largely pays off in the final product, which is ostensibly an adult game of D&D played out over 80 minutes.
One of the more purely enjoyable films Bakshi ever made, Fire and Ice is a fun installment in his filmography that has aged better than some of his earlier work.
Heavy Traffic (6.6)
The best of his urban films, Heavy Traffic is peak Ralph Bakshi. The first of his films to combine live-action and the director’s distinct animation style, Traffic is a trippy opus about a cartoonist who has yet to cultivate any meaningful relationships with women and who is constantly dragged into the deadly fights between his Catholic father and Jewish mother.
Irreverent, violent, surprising, visually creative, and, above all, a blast to watch, Heavy Traffic is Bakshi’s early masterwork that hailed him as a writer/director that could utilize the format of animation to tell a story strictly for grown-ups.
American Pop (7.3)
No doubt the late period jewel of Bakshi’s twilight, American Pop is the perfect blend of all his experimental tendencies. Mixing music, family drama, mixed media setpieces, and a non-dated use of rotoscoping, the film is nothing short of a triumph.
Bakshi seems focused, honing his vision on the musical journey of a single family of immigrants. Utilizing the life stories of the key family members, Bakshi is able to explore the broader timeline of American music. A work that comes just shy of genius, American Pop is the closest Bakshi has come thus far to perfection.
