Gorillaz Animate For Olympics

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann Jul 24, 2008

Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Tank Girl artist Jamie Hewlett have released a brilliant animated spot for BBC Sport called "Journey to the East," promoting the upcoming 2008 Olympic Summer Games. It's based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, and it features wandering martial artists Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy going to check out the Beijing Olympics.

"It looks wonderful and I'm really thrilled by it," Hewlett told The Guardian. "It's gone through so many changes because there are so many departments at the BBC, and the Olympics is their biggest gig of the year. Damon and I are used to having the luxury of doing exactly what we want, and we understand that this whole idea of using animated ancient Chinese characters is quite a wild-card for them. But somebody at the BBC had seen the Monkey opera and they put our name into the mix. And I think we've managed to keep the BBC happy . . . without ruining the original idea."

The CGI animation is beautifully rendered, and the characters are fun to watch, both for their facial expressions and their movements onscreen. The only criticism is that the monsters our heroes encounter look a little primitive. If the animators had taken some more time to get them right, it would have taken this short from merely impressive to out-and-out awe-inspiring.

I'm sure BBC watchers will be sick of itby the time the Beijing Olympics are finished, but in the meantime . . . damn!

You can check out Albarn and Hewlett's animated spot by clicking over here. It debuts on BBC Television today, and runs until August 24th, the last day of the XXIX Olympiad.