Das magische Haus

First off Im a 53 year old retired police officer who almost never watches an animated film but this was free on Shout TV channel and I thought the title looked cool so what the heck!

Of course the story is a bit juvenile but it is after all an animated film, but never the less I found it very charming and actually laughed out loud a few times. The animation was well done and the cat, Thunder carries the lead role well.

It does get a bit cliche with the villain, but then I guess we have to expect that. The magician and his magical home are fun for all ages. Unique is Einstein the sort of robotic light bulb who steals the show a bit. Its a pleasant and fun way to pass an hour and 20 minutes. (pssst, I might even buy it on DVD but don't tell anyone)

When a small kitten is thrown away by its owners in the middle of the street, it sets right away to find shelter and if possible, a new home. It ends up in an apparently creepy house, full of magical creatures which entertain an old man. It gets accepted right away by him but some old pets of his plan to get rid of the intruder. We witness the adventures of this cat which must fight to remain in the house and at the same time, help the old man keep his property from a greedy and self-centered nephew.

Although it might seem interesting, it soon proves to be too childish, boring and not very well made. Although it looks gorgeous with some well-designed models, the animation is choppy and not polished enough. The same can be said about the voice acting which could definitely use some more work. Unfortunately, the plot isn't able to raise the quality, even by a small amount, letting you down with almost every occasion it had to bring something new, something that might up the interest of the viewer. Instead, it falls miserably into ordinary and predictable, even exaggerating way too much some aspects which should have been left alone. It's supposed to be a movie for children, but the movie apparently isn't aware of this aspect. It describes an extraordinary hatred coming from multiple sides which affects more or less the final outcome. I don't want to give spoilers but I really don't understand the decisions taken when it comes to the negative characters, fact which is often reflected in their attitude. The movie's finale is unfortunately on the same note with the rest of the movie, being very predictable and unsatisfying. Don't get me wrong, it's not a very bad movie, but it is below average in every single aspect and doesn't do anything to stand out from the crowd. You can easily live without seeing this one.

Not perfect and could have been better, but it's a good, colourful and fun film and one of nWaves' better efforts.

Story-wise, The House of Magic is somewhat standard fare and a few parts feel over-familiar and well-worn. It also slightly runs out of gas towards the end, becoming a little over the top and not as crisp pacing-wise as the rest of the film. Some people may also be disappointed by the lack of emotional resonance and depth.

The animation however is wonderful (in 2D and 3D), the colours are vibrant and rich, there is so much detail and inventiveness in the backgrounds and the characters are well-modelled, cute but not overly-so. The magic scenes are very imaginatively animated too and the gizmos are cool. The House of Magic also boasts a catchy and whimsical soundtrack that compliments the film's mood ideally, and the pacing mostly is very lively in a film that can hardly be classed as 'boring'. The polished script is very high in zany wit, fun and charm, with some occasional dark weirdness that doesn't get in the way of the overall tone of the film and a whimsical quaint charm.

While the story may not be exceptional, it is a long way from a disaster either, livened by some set pieces that are both fun and scary and some eye-popping spectacle for the magic and gizmos. The message is well-intended and sweet, and delivered in a way that doesn't preach. The characters are all cute and engaging, their likable personalities and the charming and entertaining interaction between them more than compensating for the lack of depth. The voice acting is strong.

All in all, has some imperfections in the story but is mostly a very entertaining bag of tricks with a lot of great merits. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The story of the abandoned cat whose cruel owner dumps him when they move house.

Alone and unprotected the lovely cat faces a difficult challenge for survival and as he wanders the streets manages to enter a house that had already other animals in it as well as various gadgets. The owner embraces him instantly but some of the other guests are reluctant to accept him and so he has to earn their trust.

The opportunity to do so will come as a wicked nephew wants to sell the house.

An appealing story combined with high quality visuals, giving us an angle of the world from the point of view of a small animal. Various themes are involved such as abandonment, new beginnings, fitting in and proving oneself.

When it comes to protecting our home, one better not underestimate the determination of even the smallest of opponents.

It will surely delight children without leaving the adults unimpressed either.

In too many ways, the Hollywood animation industry has ruined the market for everyone else. Disney and Pixar are leading a pack – DreamWorks, Fox, Sony – that have considerable resources at their disposal: they can easily afford to hire the best talents and bombard the entire world with adorable tie-in merchandise, even if the films they're producing aren't particularly good. It's a real shame, because it means that smaller, semi-independent efforts like The House Of Magic – an utterly charming French co-production – might too easily fall by the wayside.

Abandoned by his owners, a cat sneaks into a mysterious mansion that the neighbourhood pets are convinced is haunted. In short order, our feline protagonist gains a new name (Thunder) and a new master – the genial, elderly Lawrence, a magician who lives happily in a magical world with his toys and mechanical gizmos. However, Thunder also gains a few enemies: Jack Rabbit and Maggie Mouse have no intention of allowing him to become part of Lawrence's act, even as Lawrence's nefarious nephew Danny plots to sell the house away.

Plot-wise, there isn't anything particularly special about The House Of Magic. The story marches along in largely predictable fashion – the schemes cooked up by Thunder and his buddies aren't enormously innovative and the ending of the film is never in doubt. It's also the kind of movie in which moral complexities are easier to ignore than include, so don't expect many shades of grey in the characters of Thunder, Lawrence or Danny. Even Jack Rabbit, who proves a worthy, grouchy secondary antagonist to Thunder, is quickly forgotten in the film's action-packed ending.

But it's all woven together to charming, sweet effect in the film, which benefits enormously from its excellent character design. It's easy to forgive the straightforward narrative when it's hurried along so effectively by the bouncy, adorable Thunder and his desire to be part of a family again. Lawrence's toys are also wonderfully realised: Edison, the most expressive walking lightbulb you'll ever see, is a standout, but the other supporting characters are lovingly developed too. Much of the joy in the film comes from watching them come together to thwart Danny's efforts.

Taken all together, The House Of Magic has the feel of a well-worn bedtime story: it may occasionally feel like something you've seen a thousand times before, but it's also powered by a comfortable, familiar spark of magic – the kind that makes you feel right at home, wherever you might be.