User Reviews

This film was included in THE ANIMATION SHOW VOLUME THREE--a compilation of short films arranged by Don Hertzfeldt and Mike Judge. Overall, this is a very impressive DVD--and much of it is due to CITY PARADISE.

The film consists of anthropomorphic animals--dressed and acting like people but clearly wild animals. As a water buffalo, hippo and rhino sit around the breakfast table, their roommate a croc appears. The plot consists of them talking like they are having a house meeting on a show such as "The Real World" and the only way it differs is that they are animals. It's really NOT very funny but creative and unique enough that fans of independent animation should enjoy it immensely.

Picture three roommates sitting around a small kitchen table. Well, they aren't really human beings although they talk and act like people. The difference is their big heads and the fact that one is a hippo, another is a rhino and the third is a water buffalo.

These three (two males and a female) are angry that their fourth friend - an alligator - is a bit late to the gathering. When the gator does show up, with cake for everyone, they give him the bad news: they are booting him out of the house. They don't like "Gerold" because he's late, and they are hungry. They don't like the fact that Gerold tears his food before chewing.

The bickering continues between Gerold, Roger, Arminn and Ellen until three of the four leave. The only one left is the hippo, who is the best - or rather funniest - of the characters.

Many people won't see any humor in this because there are no jokes. It's just the absurdity about it that made me laugh. A review can't do it justice. The dialog is pretty normal and something you might well hear from any group of four people, but hearing it (through subtitles, being they speak German) while looking at these huge animal faces is just so bizarre that it's funny!