Phantom Boy

Phantom Boy, directed by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, is a French animated film about Leo, an eleven year old boy battling cancer in a New York hospital, who discovers he can separate his spirit from his body and fly through the city, using this ability to help a demoted police officer stop a criminal threatening the city with a computer virus. The directors set out to blend the detective/noir genre with fantasy for children, a combination rarely attempted in animation; the character Leo was inspired by Stan Lee's "flawed, human" superheroes. The animation was hand drawn on paper and processed using OpenToonz, the same software used by Studio Ghibli. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and holds an 88 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Who it's for: anyone curious about a French animated film blending detective fiction with fantasy, a combination rarely attempted for children, about a boy who can leave his body and fly. Who it's not for: those wanting a slick, digital animation style, since the film relies on a hand drawn, paper textured visual approach.