I love me some amusements parks. Kids today may have things I didn’t have when I was their age – iPods, the Internet, videogames that look like virtual reality displays compared to my Nintendo – but they have far fewer amusement parks. No amount of simulated experiences can beat the old-fashioned real-life thrill of throwing up on a rollercoaster. (Nostalgic types who miss such experiences could do worse than checking out Greg Motola’s pitch-perfect ADVENTURELAND.)

Watching FUN FACTORY also made me a little nostalgic. Specifically for Joyland, the rickety old amusement park I frequented as a tween. Get this: It actually had a rollercoaster made out of wood. Talk about living on the edge!

The park in FUN FACTORY also looks a little dangerous. The Ferris wheel is run by a dumpy little guy with an egg-shaped head and a mouthful of gapped teeth who likes to turn the ride on and off. In real life this would inevitably result in a breakdown, which is exactly what happens. It would also put lives in danger, which is also what happens. For a stylized animated film filled with dumpy little people, FUN FACTORY sure has a lot of verisimilitude.

The video is fun, fast and appropriate for all ages. I mean ALL ages – if I was 2 I’d be mesmerized by all those weird little people and all those bright colors. I think that’s one of the things I miss most about amusement parks: all the pretty colors.