Comet in Moominland

This movie has so many brilliant attributes, it's ridiculous. It has depth in so many levels, that after about 14 years of intense watching I still seem to keep finding new aspects from it.

The characters aren't the colourless and tasteless plastic ones they usually try to underestimate kids with. They're multidimensional. They're warm. They're funny. They're complex. They have their own distinctive personalities with their own ups and downs. There's Sniff the greedy but kindhearted hedonist. There's Little My the little boyish feminist who wants to tear down all the barriers between the male and the female sex. There's Moominpappa the hopeless romantic and poet who's struggling trough a midlife crisis trying to get more meaning to his life with adventures and boheme lifestyle...

There are the profound philosophical views on life, which are presented in such a down to earth way that even the smallest children may enjoy them just as well as the more mature audience. There are the environmental and social adumbrations to our modern life... The list goes on.

Still the thing that really makes moomin's so unique in todays children's programming is the way the characters and their everyday lives are presented. Usually there's the strict line between good and bad. The ones who have any imperfections of any kind in their personalities and behaviour are the "bad ones" and the "good ones" who never even feel tempted to do anything morally questionable are the ones who straighten the "bad ones" out. Like life would be that black and white. Tove's characters all have their little imperfections that annoy each another at times. Even the most "naughty" ones are still sympathetic and fragile little creatures deep down.