A Monster in Paris

I will admit at first when I first saw the trailer I wasn't entirely drawn in. But since being a fan of animation and learning from films like Lilo and Stitch, Galaxy Quest, Tangled and Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame(all examples of movies that had trailers that either didn't appeal or were misleading, but the actual film I enjoyed or was blown away by) that you shouldn't judge a movie by their trailer. I really liked A Monster in Paris, the beginning may take a little too much time to get going and like the concept there are one or two bits that seem a teensy- bit contrived. However, the way the film is written, ensures that it is all very light-hearted, with a sense of fun, a lot of charm and a big heart at its centre. The characters are still engaging, who doesn't love Franceur, and the voice acting is very dynamic. The humour is nothing absolutely extraordinary, but I was still amused by it. What I did like too were the references to early horror movies, looking at the Monster's disguise you immediately think of the Invisible Man, there are some exciting chase scenes and there is nothing overly-sentimental. There were three things though that stood out. One was the atmosphere, A Monster in Paris has such a lovely and nostalgic feel to it, seeing as that is exactly the feeling I got when I went to Paris I felt the film evoked this very well. It is a very rich film musically, with songs that completely bewitch you with their simplicity and beauty and a score that is enchanting in melody and like the atmosphere gives a sense of nostalgia. And the animation is stunning, the characters are all well-modelled and there is a clean and bright colour palette but the stars were the city landmarks, which I loved spotting, and the period setting. Overall, a very good film, not completely perfect, but better than the rating it's got at the moment and one of the more pleasant animated films of the year. 8/10 Bethany Cox