Sammys Abenteuer - Die Suche nach der geheimen Passage

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, let alone like it. Although I didn't hate Fly Me to the Moon(also directed by Ben Stassen) as much as others did, it did have a number of problems. In every way, A Turtle's Tale:Sammy's Adventure is a big improvement.

I won't say the film is perfect. The narrative is not as predictable or as saccharine as Fly Me to the Moon, in fact it is actually quite cute and appealing complete with a good message, but it does occasionally have its mundane and dull spots particularly with some scenes with the humans. The animation was in general amazing, but I did think some of the human character designs left a lot to be desired.

That said, when it comes to the 3D, this is one of those rare exceptions where I'd say the 3D version is a must-see. Because it is clear and sharp enough, and doesn't distract too much. And when it comes to the animation in general, a vast majority of it is amazing, with gorgeous colours and stunning underwater sequences. The soundtrack fits very well, the characters are very likable and endearing mostly, the writing is much funnier and smarter with the jokes not going as overboard as badly as they could have done(I'll drop a hint, no fainting female flies in sight!) and even the pace is snappier. The voice work is very good, with John Hurt the standout as older Sammy.

All in all, much better than expected. Beautiful to watch and much more appealing to a family audience than Stassen's previous effort. 8/10 Bethany Cox