Le Petit Poucet

Le Petit Poucet is disappointing on many levels. Firstly, although it seemingly adheres to the original Perrault tale, it pads it out adding unnecessary details and the ogre is frankly ridiculous (looking more like a warhammer character than a traditional mythical creature).

Secondly the quality of the film is well below that of a film made in 2001 (the same year that the technically adventurous Amélie was released). The set design is unrealistic and the special effects are mostly terrible. To compare this to the work of Tim Burton is fairly adventurous. The sets in Burton's work are far more surreal, but realistic than those found here. Although I realise that Jeunet and Burton are big time producers, and that Le Petit Poucet was a little more tightly budgeted, I would have preferred to see a more simpler, more honest representation.

This film would work much better as a theatre production, and it is true that the fairy tale is generally a fairly theatrical genre, but this to me, seems more like an amateur production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This is a 'children's film that I highly recommend. It is a dark film but mature children will understand it and yes, enjoy it as well. It is very well done at I can confidently compare it to films such as Ridley Scott's Legend (Le Petit is a better film) and the cinema of Tim Burton. It is a very well created dream/fairy land that is presented in the film with realistic touches though. The ogre scenes are pretty frightening and realistic. The actress who plays the ogre's wife was memorable and pretty in a dark way. She is an attractive woman and why she would want to marry an ogre is beside me (maybe she was forced into the situation). Anyway, If you are a fan of fantasy/Tim Burton cinema go out and rent/buy this film. It is not for all children (kind of on the level of Edward Scissorhands). I rented this film and I look forward to purchasing within the near future.

This family is so poor that Tom's father (a very practical man) decides that his five sons should be taken into the forest and left there to be devoured by wolves. There's an ogre in the forest too that Tom fears, but Tom's father says "Be more afraid of a failed harvest, for then we have nothing to eat".

The ogre is a terrifying individual of gigantic proportions and huge teeth. His savage roar is so loud the earth seems to shudder. Although the brothers are chased by wolves, their flight from the ogre is far more terrifying. The most exciting part of the film takes us to a craggy mountain where the brothers stumble up among the sharp and slippery rocks attempting to escape from the ferocity of the ogre. As they slip and slide we fear that at any moment they will drop to their deaths from a mountain ledge.

Because Tom is small he often has to do the dirty work such as crawling through tiny apertures. Despite his small stature, Tom seems the bravest of the lot. And when he gets hold of the magical seven league boots, he literally takes flight.

The sets and lighting complement the telling of the fairy tale. There is a surreal feel about the whole presentation. Photographic images are super-imposed in rapid succession with the boys screaming and the ogre roaring. We cannot see the detail but we know full well that a terrible struggle is taking place.

I am not sure that young children should watch this film. When the ogre gives the brothers shelter for the night and orders his wife to cook them for breakfast, it is to say the least very unsettling. For grown-ups it is a stark reminder of our early days and explains perhaps why so many of us are afraid of the dark.

A totally silly movie that seems to have no idea what is its target audience. It's too violent for a kid's movie, and too stupid to be an adult one. Yes, the painted backdrops are fantastic, but that's about really all that this movie has going for it.

The ogre in his Hannibal Lector mask is an insult to viewers in this high-tech age. The little ogresses are hilarious, and I'm sure that that was unintentional.

I'm trying to watch as many "foreign" (non-Hollywood, I guess) films as I can these days, to try to get some variety of film-making styles. Many are good. This one was not.

Le petit poucet is a great french adaptation of the classic tale. What really makes it stand out are the beautiful backgrounds and sceneries. Each scene is like a painting. This makes watching 'Le petit poucet' like reading the fairy tale accompanied by beautiful drawings. But there's more: this movie actually knows what a fairy tale originally was: a pretty dark and scary story for adults. This makes that 'Le petit poucet' isn't really suited for young children but grown-ups like myself who have read the story as a child will be excited and enchanted when they see how director Olivier Dahan has adapted it for the big screen. A must-see for fans of fairy tales and fantasy films alike!