Perhaps drawing a great deal of inspiration from Pixar's 'Boundin'' in its structure and emotion, 'The Ballad of Nessie' follows suit with a traditionally animated short, narrated (affectionately by Billy Connoly) with the same comic poetry that made the former effort so endearing. Coincidentally, the Scottish setting is shared with the upcoming Pixar feature 'Brave', presenting 'Ballad' as a worthy warm-up act for that release and suppressing any disbelief of mine that the location could prove to be hit or miss.
Following Nessie's search for a home after her idyllic residence is destroyed, the short is funny, heartwarming and unique in style, unfolding in a manner very much like a pop-up storybook; this makes for beautiful transitions between shots, creating a fluid pace to accompany the quirky visuals, tuned to Michael Giacchino's gentle scoring.
'The Ballad of Nessie' is a clear indication that Disney are capable of still being innovative not only with traditional animation, but with the short film format also.
9/10
