Le lapin de velours

It's early 20th century England. William is a terribly shy boy. His family is moving and he's starting anew. He has trouble making friends. For Christmas, he's given a stuffed toy rabbit. The toys come alive when they are left to themselves. Rabbit is told by the other toys that he could turn into a real rabbit if the boy truly loves him.

This is an Apple TV+ Christmas special. It's forty minutes. It's basically Toy Story with an old England motif. It has one truly powerful emotional turn. Before that, this seems to be lowkey, cute, but lightweight. I am surprised that the turn hit me so hard. Children's stories often come with emotional trauma. This got me good. On the other hand, I'm not impressed with the animation style. I would rather spend some money on the old style two-dimensional drawings or do some rotoscoping. This animation looks like something you do on an Apple Ipad. All in all, this is really good and it could become a Christmas repeat watch.

Who would have thought a story about a stuffed bunny could tug at the heartstrings more effectively than a blockbuster drama? 'The Velveteen Rabbit', directed by Jennifer Perrott and Rick Thiele, two people who clearly understands the assignment, brings Margery Williams' classic to life in a way that had me reaching for the tissues - and I'm not talking about the rough ones. The tale of William and his furry friend not only celebrates unconditional love but also teaches a masterclass in how to make adults openly weep in a children's movie.

The animation? Pixar, take notes. The Velveteen Rabbit himself is so adorably crafted, I half expected him to hop off the screen and into my popcorn bucket. And let's talk about the voice acting - it's like they dipped into a pool of 'Whose voice can make you feel the most emotions?' and came out with a winner. Every character, from William to the wisecracking Skin Horse, was voiced to perfection, adding layers to a story already richer than my aunt's chocolate cake.

Now, the plot - oh, the plot! It's like they took the original book, sprinkled some modern-day fairy dust on it, and voila! A narrative that's as timeless as it is timely. There were twists that I didn't see coming, and I pride myself on being the 'twist predictor'. The ending? No spoilers, but let's just say it's a good thing I had those tissues. In conclusion, 'The Velveteen Rabbit' is a triumph, a tearjerker, and a testament to the power of love. If this movie doesn't become a classic, I'll eat my hat - and it won't be made of velveteen.