THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE (2023)

Throwbacks can be hard to do. Too slavish to the source materials/era, and it just feels like a regurgitation of influences. In order to get the proper pastiche, artists need to capture the spirit but present in a way that still has a personal spin. Filmmaker Andrew Chesworth has accomplished this with his 2023 short, THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE, which recalls Disney’s Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes’ Merry Melodies, and other adorable yet inventive musical animated shorts. This makes sense given that Chesworth was an animator on KLAUS, FROZEN, ZOOTOPIA, BIG HERO 6, MOANA, and WRECK-IT RALPH (amongst many others). The story is a simple one:

In this Old West musical tale with 1940s flair, a fearless little train and his engineer confront obsolescence as bigger, faster, and more automated machines take center stage.

This is an intense labor of love with a small crew and no doubt a limited amount of funds (especially when compared to the giant animation studios). THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE is a truly impressive short that hopefully gets all the awards nominations and more attention (especially after winning Best Animation at LA Shorts International Film Festival).

If you like this film, please subscribe to Chesworth’s YouTube channel and consider supporting his Patreon.