Branding is one of those omnipotent things that we take for granted, like blinking or our tongues. Yet we never consider how the brands view their lot in life. While we were scheduled for a look on this premise in 2002, industrial sabotage, and dire finical straits pushed the idea all the way back to 2012. That is an awfully long time for a Foodfight!

Every night, when the doors close at the supermarket, the branded mascots come to life in a bustling metropolis customised to their tastes. Keeping order is heroic Dex Dogtective who has eyes set on Raisin representative Sunshine Goodness. When Sunshine goes missing, Dex falls into despair, hanging up his duties and opening a new nightclub. But when the seductive Lady X of Brand X’s range of competing products comes into town, Dex is called into a mystery that may have the repercussions for freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

With the unfortunate robbery setting back production, the animation was unfortunately rushed to meet deadlines, yet despite this, it does have its charms, it’s impressive the details that the final release managed to maintain. From decorative parody sight gags to the oily seeming animation of weaselly characters. Not being an American I’m not sure how many of the characters are purely fictional or are real mascots that are staples of every home. Foodfight manages to mix both flawlessly. Charlie Sheen is a good fit as Dex who seems to enjoy the puns and goofy lines his character says, and Eva Longoria is fun as the Jessica-Rabbit-for-the-SS Lady X. Some voice actors seem to be doing impersonations of other voice actors, I think I heard a good Tim Curry and Woody Allen, despite none of them being listed in the credits.

Aside from its animation and acting, Foodfight is a charming collection of cute and clever puns, you know the ones that make the internet go crazy for in comic sections (that I have been more than guilty of making). The film is also chocked full of jokes, references and observations little kids are likely not to get. How many kids today, let alone in 2012 know the ins and outs of Casablanca?  The film comes with a decent soundtrack included, with a surprising amount of freshly written and catchy songs. That, of course, manages to fittingly feature a cameo from the California Raisins.

Foodfight should be heralded as a testament to determination. To never letting insurmountable obstacles hold you back from telling the story that you want to tell. But outside of its unintended message, it’s a fun caper, colourful, comedic, and catchy like the branded mascots it is based on. It is short at exactly 1 hour and a half but like in Casablanca, you’ll always have the food aisle.

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