Reviewed by Jason Meckes

Released back in, as I remember it, 1999, Bodily Functions was a last-chance attempt at getting director Adrian Pikios a passing grade in school, so he could eventually go on to other higher education institutes. This movie was released to the community unfinished, ending right around where the villain falls into an internal pore in the finished version. Best buddy of mine, Z-man, was completely ecstatic about it's release. Intrigued, I decided to take a look for myself to see what the fuss was all about. Bodily Functions would prove to be a creative turning point in my life, both mentally and productively.

After watching it the first time, I remember the first thought in my head. "I could do that."

I could do that.

Without my realizing, I had begun to grow more and more enamored over time as my numbers of watching the movie increased. Before long, Bodily Functions stood as my favorite 3d movie of all time... even greater than Godzilla 1998, though I would never admit that to Z-man. It had become a source of inspiration for all of my toilings, as well as a great movie I could show all of my cousins of all ages without fear. Deep inside, I had an idea that the ludicrous death counts of Litterbug 2 and the constant innuendo of anything (In my mind) by Jason Ruiz wouldn't be thought of very highly by my aunts and uncles. Bodily Functions was an excellent way to display what I do with my time, and yet still entertain those who are interested. Heck, I even made my own shameless copy/bootleg of Bodily Functions to get me through my own school assignments in 10th grade. Luckily I have slightly more fair sense and half-decent pride in my own work now, but only through the teacher that is time.

In fact, it would be a very long time before I realized that Bodily Functions was much more than a movie-making milestone in my career. I thought about my first impressions of the movie, and it finally dawned on me a few years back: I am ferociously jealous in creative works. So much so that I managed to convince myself that I was capable of creating Bodily Functions after only having the program for a number of months. So much so that I began to think of Bodily Functions as my own masterpiece as I displayed it to loved ones. So much so that I would give myself all credit for cartoon work done, when I dissected and borrowed so incredibly much from what Adrian Pikios had toiled and troubled to learn. Bodily Functions, a simple movie created for a simple, yet worthy cause, has completely changed my creative life, to bounds which even I am still yet unaware. I assume that you all are about ready to hear about the movie itself now, correct?

Bodily Functions chronicles the daily life of blood cells throughout our body. They have fun doing their job, they enjoy their vast plasma playground, they fight to protect, and the die for the good of the whole. Without warning, an unassuming cut into the skin yields passage to a super-virus, the likes of which the body's defenses can not defend. This virus gives further entrance to all other germs of all kinds, and before long, paradise becomes a battlefield. There is no hope of success without some sort of outside miracle, but miracles can, and certainly do happen.

The key highlight of the film is it's simply dazzling animations. Even today, Adrian Pikios' world of wonder stands vibrant and colorful enough to put the most incredible animation spectacles to their knees. Each type of character has their own distinct design, easily recognizable from each other. In fact, the genius simplicity of most of the designs enables the director to add incredible amounts of characters into each scene; a must if one is attempting to recreate the body at cellular level. The villain sports a body which is rather nonuniform in design, though constantly menacing. The antibodies which also appear in this movie prove to be one of the few good uses I've ever seen of the cylinder prop. My favorite design, if my constant unauthorized sketches and cheap imitations don't already suggest, is none other than the white blood cells in this cinematic body. They obviously are designed for one purposes: Kicking gas and taking names. And yes, that was the best semi-pun I could come up with.

Another outstanding area which Bodily Functions boasts is it's incredible cinematography. The camera is always careful to catch as much action and information as it can with each shot. Very seldom is there just one area of movement captured, usually a distinct foreground action shadows happenings occurring in the background. Being one of the first to properly implement a smooth, moving camera, Adrian Pikios' masterpiece is also a 3dmm milestone for quality direction. There are shots in this movie that I feel would force any Pixar representative to buy another set of boxers. Heck, they'd probably have to buy a new roof with the spectacle that's before their eyes. Swooping over several layers of body tissue, each supporting the weight and movement of many cells, we get a very vivid glimpse of the world within us all, though it's probably slightly more glamorized here than in reality. I have a hunch that you probably won't see all of these cute blood cells, even if you perform a bit of angsty surgery to take a look. That's only because they are very small, however. The human body is so fascinating.

The music in Bodily Functions is my personal favorite 3dmm soundtrack of all time. The score to Disney's CGI movie Dinosaur compliments this incredible world so well that it translates into some of the most moving scenes of video (A pun? Sure.) this reviewer has ever seen - 3dmm or not. In fact, the epic scale and sound of Bodily Functions shows that the movie is perfectly content with trying to be as large and epic as it can in it's 10, 15 minute timespan; you might even smirk at how quickly we are forced to switch gears and change emotions with each new track. Still, I believe that this mini-epic strive adds to the enjoyment of the film, never letting go of what it wants so much to achieve. There are also cute chipmunk-esque voice clips for the cells, and appropriate sound effects scattered throughout the movie. The soundclips ripped from StarCraft can aid or destroy the atmosphere depending on the viewer. On one hand, they are appropriate and add to feel of the 'mindless system' the body is built to be, but on the other hand, they are talents designed for other creative venues, ripped and placed in hopes that other fans would get a kick out of it; also saving from finding a suitable voice cast. Personally, I felt that they were unnecessary and slightly hurt the movie's feel, but I also see how that's what the director wanted for the situation, and this is indeed a creation of his own vision. In short - You'll live.

Overall, Bodily Functions stands as a testament to what someone can truly accomplish in 3d Movie Maker - An original idea, an immersive world, a quality production, and great entertainment for all ages. Surviving the test of time with flying colors, Bodily Functions is a movie that not only highlights Adrian Pikios' creative career, but also that of the entire Community's thus far. I stand a drastically changed, smarter man because of this movie. It contains the kind of magic that I will always strive to achieve in my works, and the kind of intangible power that can change people inside and out. Adrian Pikios' Bodily Functions is the only movie thus far to ever achieve highest honors in my years of rating movies. Don't miss out.

10/10
An illustrious soundtrack, incredible visuals, original story, and unforgettable characters and occurrences conglomerate to form the greatest 3d movie ever made