ANIMALYMPICS (1980) Movie on DVD

ANIMALYMPICS (1980) — DVD | Gilda Radner | Billy Crystal | Harry Shearer | Not Rated

Where the world’s greatest athletes are animals… and the competition is absolutely wild.

Hilarious, inventive, and brilliantly offbeat, Animalympics is a cult animated mockumentary that spoofs Olympic sports coverage through the lens of a world populated entirely by animals. Originally produced for television, it blends satire, parody, and surprisingly sharp social humor into one of the most unique animated films of the early 1980s.

Presented as a live broadcast of the “Animalympic Games,” the film features competing nations of animals — from speedy cheetahs to lumbering bears — all training, competing, and collapsing under the pressure of international athletic glory. Every event is played for comedic contrast, as nature, ego, and sports obsession collide in increasingly absurd ways.

The voice cast is stacked with comedy talent, including Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, and Harry Shearer, each bringing sharp character work and improvisational energy to the wide range of animal athletes, commentators, and officials.

Directed by Steven Lisberger (who would later create Tron), the film showcases early experimental animation styles, combining stylized 2D character work with a pseudo-documentary structure that feels ahead of its time. The result is part sports satire, part cultural parody, and entirely its own strange, wonderful creation.

Over the years, Animalympics has become a beloved cult favourite — especially among animation fans and viewers nostalgic for 1980s experimental TV films that refused to play by conventional rules.

A sporting event where the only thing more competitive than the athletes… is the comedy.

Format: DVD | Color | English
Genre: Animation / Comedy / Sports Satire
Runtime: 78 minutes