O Regresso do Grúfalo

first... I have not seen the Gruffalo.

Second... I read this on a bi-weekly basis with the kids. They are 6,4 & 2.

Third... I love to read and want the kids to love reading too. This is something we do together just me and the kids.

So....

I was super excited when i found this and the kids were really exited when they realised what it was we where watching. It has been supremely presented as the actual book is not heavy on words. The narration was fantastically paced with the additional on charter interplay that was not actually in the book. The story flows well with tension on an entirely appropriate level for the kids. I appreciated the most (and it was a deal breaker for me to be honest) was the sticking to the rhyme and word play.

In short this is great... the kids loved it, i loved it and it was a wee bit special for the kids an i.

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.

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.

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.

I have been going to the theater on a pilgrimage for quite a few years now each January-February to see the annual showings of the Best Animated and Best Live Action Shorts. I am lucky enough to live in one of the few places in the country that shows it each year. And, along with the nominated films, they usually show several commended films--animated films which didn't make the final cut but which are well worth seeing.

The final commended film shown in this viewing was "The Gruffalo's Child". I must admit that I don't understand the Gruffalo films. They are slickly made but the films never really excited me and seem purely of interest to small kids. HOWEVER, when I went to Europe (where the stories originated), I went in quite a few bookstores and saw HUGE displays of the books. Clearly, the kids in Europe love those Gruffalos!! I may sound very selfish in saying this, but although this film was nice, I wish they hadn't picked it since I'd already seen "The Gruffalo" during a similar screening last year (or was it the year before?) and it was by far the longest of the shorts shown this year. So, this means other wonderful films made by smaller film makers didn't get to be seen because they showed this one. Surely, the Gruffalo folks appreciated the exposure but also didn't NEED it nearly as much as the struggling artists whose work COULD have been shown. And, at almost a half hour, two or three other shorts could have been shown instead. Just my two cents worth. A good film but a familiar one as well.