One possible reason for family films to be successful, is that the themes in the story can be very educational for the younger demographic. It can help them learn the ways of the world.
This French-Italian animation certainly fits into that category.
The first aspect of the film I had to get to grips with, was the animation. It's definitely the type of animation you don't see. It almost felt primitive at first. But as you get engrossed with the story, the animation style feels more and more right with the rest of the film and almost becomes quite charming in its look in certain sequences.
The story structure and message its saying is one we have seen before. One obvious comparison is a story many people from my generation would have been taught at school. But when done right, this structure and message can be very effective and timeless. This film did absolutely that.
It opens up nicely. It's set the scene, introduces us to characters that are memorable and you can get invested with them. The way the landscape is designed and shot makes for some nicely executed sequences.
Then when we get into more depth and into the psychological side of the story, the film is given much more of a meaning then I was expecting. All of that I felt was enhanced well by the bittersweet ending, which is something you rarely see in family films.
I was really surprised how moving and effective this film was. It has that perfect mix of balancing education and entertainment for both kids and adults. It teaches you about the relationship between society and nature, the class system, the power of greed and equality.
It's lovely to look at, the pacing is nice, it has a snappy 82 minutes duration and there are well developed characters. This was a really nice surprise.
Rating: 8/10
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