Midlands Review of Yen for Zen, Xmas! with Imagination Jack and Star Pilot Error
Local Midlands animator James Pyle enters 2025 with a selection of three new films and Midlands Movies takes a look at this collection of comedy shorts from the filmmaker.
Yen For Zen (2025)
First up is a 1-minute animation that opens on Australia’s recognisable marsupial, the kangaroo, and a voiceover tells us of the stresses the species has to face out in the wild. Pyle’s fun dialogue here is a cross between David Attenborough nature documentary and a primary school educational video and we get to see the animal use her pouch as an evolutionary tool – as well as the basis for a cheeky gag. The cartoon is done with simple shapes in the style of Bluey (sort of) and ends on a nasty surprise with the ‘Yen’ (aura of tranquillity) leading to a morbid ending with an outback crocodile.
Xmas! with Imagination Jack (2025)
For the second short Pyle plays with a live-action actor interacting with hand-drawn characters. It’s also another episode of his Imagination Jack series
(our earlier review)– where a child’s TV host attempts to impart wisdom to younger viewers. Although this doesn’t always go to plan as the tone is, shall we say, not always appropriate. This time, the Sesame Street letter of choice is “X” with a distraught Santa character exploring not only the word X-Mas, but also Xenophobes and XY and XX chromones. Hardly suitable for the young ‘uns! An unfortunate use of a Xerox machine ends the short with a disclaimer about the educational quality of what we’ve just seen.
Star Pilot Error: (2025)
A “safe space” is the focus of Pyle’s final short – but it’s not what you think - as he interestingly moves into a comic book style of animation. Here a spaceman analyses the terrain of an extraterrestrial plant before his vehicle makes a touchdown on the ground. However, despite the ship’s computer claiming it’s harmless, an unexpected and important piece of information about it comes to light which sees a quick dose of slapstick added to the mix.
Summary
With a lot of Pyle’s work all three shorts again deliver a style that harks to childhood media but always with a darker and edgier twist in the tale and once more he tackles similar fare in these mischievous cartoon parodies. With an over-the-top acting style and some juvenile but playful jokes, Pyle’s style continues as seen before in his work.
Which is one of the slight drawbacks sadly. His love of comedy skits are clear to see but, as mentioned previously, the could do with a real change of genre, tone or flavour as although the quality is there, I’d hate to see it all labelled as a one-trick pony.
As also noted previously, although there is some diversity to the shorts – especially animation style and content - I’d love for them to be slightly longer to develop a more complex narrative structure. Perhaps even collect them into an anthology – with a person flicking through TV channels (like parts of Rick & Morty) – to give them a wraparound framework. As is, if you know Pyle’s work then you’ll enjoy these silly capers as they tackle fun little stories with his dependable spicy perspectives.
★★★
3 / 5
Michael Sales
