Dunderklumpen!

To me this is THE number one movie for children. I grew up with this movie, I have seen it 3-4 times at the cinemas and my both children (now 3 and 11 years old) and I have watched the VHS-cassette until the tape almost have ceased to exist.

The animations by Per Åhlin (also known for ' Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton' who can be seen on Swedish television every Christmas, and the magnificent animated movie 'Hundhotellet' among others) are very good for being a film from 1974. They are mixing animations with real backgrounds and actors, just like in ' Who Framed Roger Rabbit '. I wouldn't say that this movie is only for children, because I still love it as much as my both children (perhaps even more). The story contains humor, adventures and action, and it's suitable for all ages.

Each one of the animated characters have very individual personalities, so it's easy for everyone to get their own favorite character, depending on the watcher's own personality. Here we have the lonely and very kind fantasy figure Dunderklumpen. The crazy and funny rabbit En Dum En. Pellegnillot, a shy bear who is a very talented harmonica player. Blomhåret who can talk to everything and everybody - even a waterfall. The spoiled doll called Dockan. The brave lion Lejonel. The old, poor but very wise old lady Elvira Fattigan. The bumblebee Humlan. The easily misguided Enöga, who at first seems to be a very evil man, but turns out to be a man with a big and warm heart. And finally the giant Jätten Jorm who is shaped like the Swedish province Jemtland (which is also the filming location for this movie).

The music by Toots Thielemans and the beautiful landscape is almost as important as the rest of the movie, and all this together makes this film a milestone in Swedish animated movie.

An excellent movie for the younger kids, a beautiful picture for those who love Sweden's nature, and a moment of sweet memories for those who were kids in the 70's.

Per Åhlin (also the father of famous "Karl-Bertil Johnsson") really makes this movie a little less ordinary. Very nice characters and atmosphere.

Summary; A very good movie, well worth the time!

Is it just me or is this movie completely inexplicable? It features odd framing, bad singing, and a father who has an unhealthy obsession with bees. . . Strange, strange, strange. . . HS

If Australian's are not the most diverse happy moviegoers on the planet I am unsure then who are. DUNDERKLUMPEN was released here in the late 70s and was a success for the matinée tykes and their bewildered older brothers and sisters who must have had to draw on HR PUFNSTUF or PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH flashbacks to see them get through this. Recently in 2007 the Swedish church choir drama SA SOM I HIMMELEN has also hit massive box office, so we must connect somehow with our Arctic kindred spirits literally diagonally through the planet. This 70s hilarious forest bound animated/live pic even had a 'wandering mountain' which somehow stomped about.... I worked in a cinema and we would often sing "ja es Dun-der-klu-mpen' monstering each other with twisted faces in between sessions. Lots of fun. An Australian film called 'Grendel Grendel Grendel" also from the same time was very popular. It was monster dream-time animation too. God help us. Nobody these days believes me that there was a pic called DUNDERKLUMPEN and what it was about, so hooray again for the IMDb that reveals all.

This is not one of the best movies you'll ever see, neither is it the best acting you'll ever see but it is extremely hard to find another film that is as beautiful as this. Per Åhlin is somewhat of a god for me and this is his finest work without a doubt, a movie that children enjoy based solely on the purpose that they are children.

It is set in a beautiful landscape in Sweden called Jämtland, where a character called Dunderklumpen blows life into some toys because he has no one to play with, and all the character involved is out for a magical midsummer night.

I showed this movie to my students, they were 11-12 years old at the time and they usually watched kind of grow-up movies and didn't not react when I showed them other movies from my childhood, but this movie have a certain kind of ability to make even the toughest man smile simply because he wants to. They laughed and they were into the story, they saw beautiful nature and they loved all the characters. The music is also very powerful in itself.

A true gem, I recommend that you stop reading this and start watching the movie that has rocked me to my very core ever since I was five years old.