Who knew that black and white animation could be so riveting? Unfortunately, most Americans never got a chance to glimpse French filmmaker Christian Volckman's visual masterpiece Renaissance, as the film opened in only a handful of theaters here last year. Thankfully, it finally arrived on DVD last week -- almost a year after its U.S. theatrical release date -- giving Yankee cinephiles a chance to see what the Frenchies were so wild about.

The story, a futuristic thriller in the vein of Phillip K. Dick, isn't anything revolutionary. The blend of noir and sci-fi is derivative of (or possibly an homage to) Blade Runner. The animation, however, is simply extraordinary. It quite literally is a black and white film -- there are almost no grays whatsoever -- with the occasional dash of color is added to highlight certain features, in the vein of Robert Rodriguez's Sin City.

Of course, Renaissance wasn't Academy's list when the Oscar nominees for Best Animated Feature were announced. Instead it was a trio of studio offerings that received nods: Happy Feet, Cars and Monster House. Of the three, only Monster House can claim to be superior to Renaissance.

ReelzChannel Rating: 

What's on the Disc:

There's a neat little "making of" featurette that showcases complex process behind the animation of Renaissance. That's about it as far as extras are concerned.

Check out ReelzChannel's Renaissance page for clips from the movie and more!

There's also a sweet Renaissance online game. Click here to play.