Dreams, machines and family fuel Kamiyama Kenji's animated delight, NAPPING PRINCESS

If the new animated movie from Japan entitled NAPPING PRINCESS seems initially a little too childlike and "adorable" to merit your full attention, hold on for just a bit. If you do, you'll soon find yourself involved in a tale of alternate universes -- one a kind of dream world, the other a reality that is heavily linked to the dream. Initially, I wondered why they hadn't entitled this one, Dreaming Princess, but after viewing this really quite good children's film, I realize that the word "napping" is a lot more fun, reflective, too, of the main character's energy and smarts.

As written and directed by Kamiyama Kenji, shown at left, the story here is actually rather complicated (I wouldn't be surprised if some older children may have to pause the Blu-ray or DVD along the way and explain certain things to their younger siblings), involving family history, an automotive dynasty, stolen technology for self-driving cars, and lots more.

All of which gives this animated charmer additional freight, weight and wonder. Napping Princess is by turns sweet, thrilling, funny, moving and consistently one hell of a visual treat.

I wish that the stills shown below were of better quality because they simply do not do justice to what will be up there on your screen (via the Blu-ray version, at least). The colors are spectacular and the animation quite delightful. You'll particularly notice early on the film, I think, the breakfast that our heroine, Kokone, sets in front of her dad because you'll want to grab a fork and dig right in.

The landscapes, based on the actual Japanese locations, are also lovely, while the tale told here -- of an automobile dynasty and the struggle for its control -- will seem both specifically Japanese and simultaneously indicative of so much our Capitalist world today.

Technology -- not only auto-making but smart phones, tablets, and the like --  come into play, as do cute little teddy bears, all of which makes the movie oddly enjoyable on several levels. Mr. Kamiyama's achievement lies in how he manages to bring all this together in so relatively seamless a fashion.

By the end you may find yourself surprisingly moved by the unfolding story of a shattered family and how it is reunited -- well, somewhat, at least. All the leading characters are brought to life quite well visually and aurally, and as the story gains momentum, you'll enjoy everything from plot twists and car/motor-bike chases to fights between monsters and robots (think Pacific Rim but a lot shorter and more fun) plus some inter-generational trauma and drama.

Whatever you do, don't miss the sublime visuals that accompany the end credits. These give you, in a lovely animated version of archival footage, the family's backstory in a series of sweet, incisive snippets: a most charming end to a very surprising movie.

From Shout! Factory and GKIDS and running a lengthy but never boring 112 minutes, and available in both the original Japanese version with English subtitles, and the English-language dubbed version (for younger children), the excellent two-disc set containing both Blu-ray and DVD, with a host of special features included (the 15-minute interview the writer/director Kamiyama is definitely worth seeing), the package hits the street tomorrow, Tuesday, January 30.

Chris Paine's back with REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR: It's time for some justice!

Except for the subject matter -- that titular car -- you could hardly imagine two more different movies than Chris Paine's original and heavy-duty-anger-producing Who Killed the Electric Car? and his new one, the aptly-titled, let's-skip-and-dance-our-troubles-away REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR. The first one left you seething; this one leaves you on Cloud Nine. Sort of. I really don't want to do spoilers, but there's hardly any way around the fact that, if you follow the automobile industry at all, you'll know the outcome here. Nearly everyone involved seemed destined for happy times. And, yes, Virginia: "Revenge" is sweet.

Working against adversity -- and winning -- is one thing. But losing, as happened with the first film, and so unjustly, is another. This gave Who Killled...? its particular kick. That kick is decidedly missing from the sequel, but environmentalists, progressives (and all the rest of us who fit under the Communist Menace umbrella) probably won't mind because the news is so damn good. So good, perhaps, that Mr. Paine, pictured at left, seems a little sloppier here, letting us learn that any car can be converted from gas to electric -- but then not following up on this to much extent, other than letting us in on the troubles that plague the fellow (Greg "Gadget" Abbott, below) and his gal pal who are doing these conversions.

Who Killed...? gave us General Motors in all its juggernaut stupidity; GM is back again, this time in the person of executive honcho Bob Lutz, below, left), and the company -- or at least Lutz -- seems to be on (or closer to) the right track. My, such a change!

We also meet Carlos Ghosn, the head of Japan's Nissan firm, who, like Lutz, was a former EV (electric vehicle?) skeptic now converted to the cause of the plug-in car. When Ghosn announces Nissan's plan to produce a new EV callled the "Leaf," the auto world is of course astounded. (That's Ghosn in the car, below.)

And then there's the young dot-com billionaire Elon Musk, below, center, who plans to beat Detroit at its own game by producing the electric Tesla. Entitlement hangs over all these men, but it seems especially stenchy around Mr. Musk, so don't be surprised if you find yourself rooting for his failure, no matter how much you love the electric car.

How all this plays out -- with lots of ups and downs -- is covered handily in the course of this 90-minute movie, and even if you know the outcome, you may find yourself surprised at some of the events along the way -- like the unexpected meeting of Lutz and Musk during the auto show.

Revenge of the Electric Car, distributed by WestMidWest Productions and Area23A, opens theatrically tomorrow, Friday, October 21, in Los Angeles at Landmark's NuArt, in New York City at Landmark's Sunshine, and on Long Island at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.  You can see all currently scheduled playdates across the country by clicking here.