Le Petit Gruffalo

What a cast! Some amazing voice talent on show, but we don't get that much of them, unfortunately. The animation isn't quite top notch, but the story is wonderfully engaging, with rich characters. Definitely recommended for all ages and family members.

Kinda scottish Gruffalo. 1. I read the grufflo in my class this year so then I came upon a dvd for this and knew I had to watch it. I like the second perspective we get from the Gruffalo after hearing about the mouse's perspective. I think it is really cool and can help younger people understand others as well. THis is just a wonderful children's story. I also really liked the animation or clay. It has soothing music with rhyming words. I recommend this movie along with that uprising children influencer lady with brown hair, who sometimes also teaches spanish. She is like the new blue clues for this generation.

Essentially reversing the plot of the original Gruffalo short, this time the squirrel tells her children a tale about the Gruffalo's child going into the woods to seek out the fearsome mouse that her father uses as a warning not to wander off. As before each animal encountered points the child onwards to a new threat and as before the result is a cute and enjoyable little short film even if it never really excels in a great deal. It probably helped by enjoyment that I recorded this and watched it later on Christmas Day – and did so after watching the rather disappointing and heartless Doctor Who special. In stark contrast this film is simple, quite warming and very easy to watch with its rhyming dialogue and simple characters.

It perhaps lacks the Pixar sense of humour or a cynical edge to appeal to adults specifically but it is hard to dislike it for just how simple a tale it is. The animation is impressive but yet retains the feel of a children's book – I feel no shame in admitting that I was watching this in a dressing gown at the end of a day of wine and food and it felt oddly comforting to be sitting being told this wholesome and simple little tale. The dialogue works well in this effect with it repetition and rhyming nature while the voice cast from the first film mostly return. Most of them only have a few lines apart from Shirley Henderson, who plays her usual "odd Scottish waif" role really well as the child – she was a good bit of casting and brought a lot of character to the child. As before Corden mercifully underplays and does good as the mouse.

Overall The Gruffalo's Child is not really worthy of comparison to that other animated Christmas favourite of Wallace and Gromit, but it engagingly pleasing in its simplicity and good-natured telling. It is written for young children but yet the film felt warming and easy for me in my mid-30's; how it would stand up on a bright summer's day I don't know, but as a nice little family film it worked really well on Christmas Day.

I'm a bit of a sucker for a snowy adventure so I actually enjoyed this every bit as much as I did the first film (2009). Clearly in the intervening years, "Gruffalo" has had some fun for now there is a child. An inquisitive little beastie who has been warned by her dad not to go into the woods unaccompanied for fear of encountering the mouse! In a bit of a reversal of the original story, this intrepid young explorer sets off in the middle of a frosty night on an adventure that introduces her to the fox, the hapless owl and to the clever snake. Her encounter, eventually, with the mouse? Well let's just say our big-eared little friend has lost none of it's vivid imagination! The animation is engaging and detailed, with the snow working well to provide a nice canvas for the lively and entertaining artwork. I'm not sure we need another of these, but this is still good fun for half an hour, and is an easy watch for children and grown-ups alike.

The Gruffalo's Child (2011)-

I think that I actually prefer this one to the original, although I realise that it would make less sense on its own, but I think that the snowy season and the cosy feel of the Gruffalo's cave give it a warmth that seems appropriate for a film shown regularly at Christmas. It makes you appreciate the comfy chair in front of the TV.

It's a sweet and harmless story with a moral or two about not judging people based on their reputation or believing what you hear about people and maybe you shouldn't heed your own fears too much.

The voice cast is very good, but I'm not sure that they ever need to spend so much on such well known actors. I'm sure it means nothing to the kids watching, but I suppose that's what gets them the prime TV spot.

I can imagine that most kids would love it for it's simplicity and well created characters and animation.

I personally love these cartoon shorts released each year. It really makes my Christmas to see such charming little tales that can take you away from the horrors of the real world.

769.92/1000.