Ever since "Mutafukaz" was first announced as a film project, I was interested. The movie was announced as early as 2015, when I first heard of it, but didn't get a premiere until mid-2017, and strangely, it wouldn't get a proper theatrical release until over a year later in 2018. In the USA, the film would be licensed by GKIDS... while the company is no stranger to bringing adult animation to American audiences, they decided to redub the title as "MFKZ" to be slightly less offensive to viewers seeing the title in passing.Aside from the long development cycle, the origination of the title is fascinating on its own. It was animated by Studio 4C, a Japanese anime company known for amibitious film projects like "Mind Game" and "Berserk." But "MFKZ" is based off a French graphic novel, written by "Run" Renard, who also acted as co-director and screenwriter on the movie. The film is set in an alternate United States of America, loosely based on our own, where gang wars and shootings occur every day for no particular reason at all. In a revealing and entertaining interview behind the scenes, most of the Japanese staff admited to not understanding the comic at all, or the boastful American culture it was trying to depict. This might explain my opinion of "MFKZ" as a whole: there's a lot to appreciate in it, but its production values and direction feel a bit less confident than I expected, and therefore, not as strong an outing as it could have been. But the movie is still thoroughly unique and entertaining. Set in DMC ("Dark Meat City"), presumed to be in or near the hoods of California, Angelino tries to make ends meet in a run-down suburban wasteland, keeping his head down to avoid enticing wannabe gangsters and thugs from unsheathing their guns. Angelino happens to be a small black kid, or specifically, a kid with a large black ball for a head. His roommate is a guy named Vinz with a flaming skull head, and they share an annoying friend in Wily, a cowardly cat with braces. The three look like Cartoon-Network rejects at about one-third the size of rough adults (who look much more in line with Studio 4C's other gangster film, "Tekkonkinkreet"), so they stand out as easy targets if they ever walk through a neighborhood where they don't belong. After a minor traffic accident, Angelino starts to see strange shadows on some of the neighborhood's residents, and before long, he is on the run from a nameless gang of well-dressed secret agents and cops with serious firepower. The trio have to survive the city while trying to uncover the secret behind a giant conspiracy and Angelino's true identity. I won't spoil more regarding what happens in the movie, since the promotional material tried so hard to keep it secret. I will say that I had no idea what to expect, and was surprised for more than half of the movie for where it went. I wouldn't say it's great writing, and the film seems to skip past a lot of smaller story subplots, but its an ambitious story that somehow manages to feel complete enough to be enjoyable. 
What struck me more is the attitude the main characters have in their environment. The movie has no shortage of profanity and swearing (spoken in the English dub by a surprising collection of Hollywood actors not commonly found in animation), and many characters get shot in a variety of violent ways throughout. But Angelino and his pals are just normal guys trying to survive, not trying to take risks in order to make a name for themselves. While some smaller characters around them are headstrong and eager to fight, the lead cast represents a lesser seen lifestyle in this culture, one that feels much more real and relatable. While their actors do a great job making that approach to life feel authentic, at times it also feels a little laid back or sleepy in situations when they should be pooping their pants. Some bizarre directional choices, like interrupting each act of the story with a stylized title card, feel like homages to the original comic that disrupt the flow of the movie, and pacing becomes a bit of a problem, reducing entertainment value despite the events or one-liners on screen.Visually, the movie is also a mixed bag. The main cast have memorable designs, but never felt appropriate against the mostly human world they live in. Most of the extra characters aren't particularly well designed, or at least, aren't attractive despite the originality. Aside from a few action moments with dynamic camera movement, the animation is also a bit more rough, in part to help the cartoon leads blend better with their world. The most impressive elements were the backgrounds (which likely used a lot of reference photos to create a detailed and lived-in city), and the careful use of CGI with environments, cars and a limited number of characters. But compared to everything else Studio 4C has been part of, this comes across as a disappointment in quality. The soundtrack is also mixed, filled with a lot of original hip-hop music, but not really standing out until it pumps up the dubstep during chase or fight scenes.I had high expectations for "MFKZ." While most of those aren't met, there is still a fantastic unique world built here. I feel compelled to buy the original comics, but don't feel like it is necessary, as the movie gives a complete piece of it within its 90 minute runtime. I appreciate the human attitude of Angelino, and his memorable face makes me tempted to get a tattoo of him. And I don't get tattoos. That shows that the movie was successful in many ways, even with an audience outside those who might better relate to the themes at work.