Firing Range (1977) User Reviews

Anti-military animation

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 12 April 2016]

"Poligon" is a 10-minute animated movie from the Soviet Union written and directed by Petrov and Gansovsky. Next year, it will have its 40th anniversary. It is the story of a man who invents a new outstanding military technology, but when a handful of general come to see what it is capable of, it becomes quickly a tale of brutal revenge. Not too graphic though. Speking about graphics, the animation style is not too similar to other works from the Soviet Union that I have seen from the era. But this is not a negative criticism. It took me a minute or two to gets used to the style, but I got to appreciate it. i would not say there is any real greatness in this short work, but it was a decent watch from start to finish and the story is okay as well. Thumbs up.

Incredible

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 11 March 2012]

I saw this short in the second volume of the "Master of Russian Animation" collection.

"Polygon" (Also known as "Firing Range") not only has a superb animation style that was ahead of the time in which this was made (With a surprising level of realism, with a high level of detail and fluid movements…Considering that this short was made in 1977, the quality of the result is even more impressive) but also possess a mature, complex plot that in only 10 minutes is able to express in a poetical way the horrors of war, the consequences of trying to make justice by oneself (Even with a good reason) dealing also with interesting sub-themes (An invention going against to its creator) having a surprising, but at the same time poignant ending. A must-see.

Dr. Soviet, or how I learned to stop thinking and love weapons

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 30 July 2017]

Anatoly Petrov's "Poligon" (alternately called "Polygon" and "Firing Range" in English) is adapted from an anti-war science fiction story by Sever Gansovsky. Like "Dr. Strangelove", it shows that the technology designed for war will destroy us if we don't reign in its power. In this case, the weapon in question turns into a sort of Frankenstein's monster (which could be a metaphor for military technology in general).

I've liked all the Soyuzmultfilm cartoons that I've seen. These cartoons prove that a cartoon doesn't need fancy animation or famous people voicing the characters. It just needs a good, clever plot. That's exactly what this one has.

I understand that the animation uses two celluloid layers for each character to make them look 3D, while the characters are caricatures of Paul Newman, Ringo Starr, Yul Brynner, and others.