Room on the Broom

Now you'd reckon a witch would be used to the effects of the wind by now, but nope - this one is constantly finding things blowing off and so she has to stop, each time, and find what she has lost. First it is her hat, and that is where she meets a dog who cadges a lift on the broom with her and her cat. Then she manages to lose her bow and before you know it she has accumulated a frog and a green bird too. Worse still is yet to come when they encounter an hungry dragon who is intent on some toasted witch for supper. Can she survive? This reminded me a little of the "chicken Licken, hen Len" story as this initially quite wary group grows to become friends thanks to their kindly pal with the pointy black hat. The animation engagingly relies on some fun facial expressions, some lovely chocolate-style glooping and there is a jaunty score to whizz it along for an enjoyably crafted twenty minutes that focuses on a good story with mischievous characterisations and it's certainly a great example of less-is-more for this genre.

As always, Christmas was an interesting time of year for TV programmes and films as there are always some treasures and some disappointments. While I did like but was disappointed in The Snowman and the Snowdog of the animated short films(especially as I adore the original so much) I got so much pleasure from Room on the Broom as I did with The Gruffalo and its sequel from previous years. There is very little to criticise actually here, but while the dragon is very charismatic- some may say too much so- I did feel that he wasn't quite scary enough considering the type of character he is. Timothy Spall does voice him very well though, even if it is somewhat different to the roles I associate him with.

The animation on the other hand is just wonderful. Detailed and vibrantly coloured, I loved the balance between hand-drawn and computer-generated animation, meaning that anybody who is fond of either style(admittedly I am more a hand-drawn person myself) will find Room on the Broom a treat. It is not just the quality of it that impresses, it is also to do with how much it does in defining the characters and story which I found incredibly compelling to watch. Thankfully the story and characters are done very well indeed on their own. The story is very charming and heart-warming with some touching moments, true it is simple but considering the target audience and the book itself, of which Room on the Broom is remarkably faithful to this was appropriate. Despite the short running time, Room on the Broom never felt rushed.

As for the characters, they are engaging and likable. Again, like the story they are simple but all the better for it. The witch was especially true to this, and all the critters are very cute without being overly-so. The dialogue has similar rhyming rhythms, in how poetic, gentle and bouncing-like they are, to those of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child. They are also written respecting those of the book and written in a way that doesn't make them childish to an adult yet also easy for the children to understand. The voice acting is excellent. Simon Pegg of course stands out in restrained but dynamic mode as the narrator though he also has freedom to have some droll moments as well. Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson, David Walliams, Sally Hawkins and Martin Clunes voice their characters wonderfully.

I will say thought that Timothy Spall is not quite as good, and this has nothing to do with his voicing actually at all, he does give his all to make the most of it, but more that his character doesn't quite off as well as the rest. In conclusion, I loved it and found it hard to deny its charm. And I imagine that child, adult or family will feel the same. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This film is very funny and has great animation. I enjoyed that they quote directly from one of my favorite old books, "Room On the Broom" by Julia Donaldson. I also like how the words all rhyme. I watched it with a toddler and he loved the movie because he liked making the "WHOOSH" noise when they took off. He also enjoyed all the different animals and the repetitiveness. Overall the film is magical.

Room On the Broom is about a witch and her cat. They go on a trip and the witch drops something from her broom. She flies down to get it and a wild animal finds it. When they give it back they ask her if they can come with her. Meanwhile, a scary monster is chasing them, but they don't know. This happens three times and soon there are so many creatures on the broom that it becomes too heavy.

I like the animation because it is very detailed. I imagine that it must have taken a lot of hard work to make this film. The expressions of the characters are very amusing and made me laugh. I also enjoyed the music because it sets the mood for each scene. My favorite part is when the monster has the witch and it seems like she's doomed. I like this part because it is a twist on the rest of the film. It is also the scariest part of the film. I like this scene because it is action packed and you wonder if they'll escape. The cast includes Simon Pegg as the narrator and Gillian Anderson as the witch's voice. The four animals are played by Rob Brydon, Martin Clunes, Sally Hawkins and David Walliams.

The story is about a witch who meets lot of creatures that become her friends and then save her. The moral of this film is to be kind and make friends and it emphasizes the importance of friendship. Parents could have their children read the book along with the narrator and that would enhance their learning experience.

I give this film 4 ½ out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 2 to 8. I think parents would enjoy watching with their younger kids. It is available now on DVD so, go check it out.

Reviewed by Rohan F, KIDS FIRST!

Beautifully told, animated and implemented. Simply a wonderful film for children but also adults with a big heart for the little details.

I find it amusing when adults review a piece meant for children. They yearn for a certain type of clever, complication and pace. This short is perfect in every way. I am the mom of two 3 year old boys who see themselves climbing mountains, racing motorcycles, putting out fires and driving excavators daily.

Like most, the holidays had wrecked and exhausted us so we sat down as a family to watch TV. These boys don't get a lot of TV and especially not TV movies- Disney is still too scary and they just don't get most of it, so no Disney. Their TV is usually about 22-30 min in the morning while we drink coffee and check our email etc. So we ended up one day with this short on our TV.

It was magical for the boys. It didn't move too fast so there was time for questions and answers as things were happening on the screen. They had time to read facial expressions! And best of all, the dragon wasn't too scary. They could actually watch it without worry and understand the story instead of "scary dragon gonna eat people".

They understood not wanting to give up your seat, the kindness of the witch, how it's hard to have new friends sometimes, and that working together brings us all closer. They now see the foreshadowing of the mushrooms, the individual characters of the animals and instead of having only a few laugh out loud moments, after multiple viewings, they laugh out loud many times throughout with little comments thrown in.

You can't beat every morning waking up to "Momma, I want to watch the witch".

As a parent, you won't find a better 25 minutes of TV for your little ones. The story, the animation, the VO, the characters and especially the music is just the most lovely of combinations. I would urge everyone to watch it with a 3-4 year old!