Where Dahl left his spiteful cold hearted characters in their own tiny world this latest Dahl adaptation takes the gruesome twosome and inflates their grim little fable into a sprawling, layered world full of new characters and universe expanding cameos in order to fulfil the promise of a wider Netflix/Dahl extended universe made up of the characters from his extensive library.

Whilst that might not immediately appeal to the purists, there is a lot to enjoy from this adventure. Where the titular twosome might fit well into an animated special or short, sustaining a feature would undoubtably be hard work, so the alternative of weaving them into someone else’s story works really well. The someone else in question are Beesha and Bubsy Balti (a nice linguistic nod to Charlie ‘Bucket’) orphans in search of a place to call home and placing this film under the category of grotesque adults clashing with sharper witted young adversaries. It’s refreshing to see South Asian leads in the form of two young characters who have clear autonomy and a mission. As a somewhat original character Beesha fits well into The Twits universe. While Bubsy ends up more as a sidekick to his sisters story and could have been given a stronger arc, both performances however bring needed energy and freshness.

The Twits. (L to R) Natalie Portman as Mary Muggle-Wump, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Beesha, Ryan Lopez as Bubsy, in The Twits. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

Fans of Dahl’s original book will grimace at the sound of these changes. Not every classic gag makes the leap to screen played out like the book, which might feel like a missed opportunity. Yet the new additions feel thoughtful and with purpose presented to broaden the story and to make this feature-length world feel justified. In that sense, The Twits succeeds capturing the essence of Dahl’s cruel humour while giving it a modern pulse.

That modernity comes not only from the film’s expanded plot but also from its themes. Beneath the slapstick and slime lies a pointed commentary about the dangers of blindly following loud, deceptive figures, a note that rings depressingly true in the current era. It’s not subtle, but it works, and the satire sits neatly within the exaggerated, scuzzy world the film builds. Here is where the film shines and presents something with surprising substance, making use of fictions foulest felons.

The Twits. (L to R) Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in The Twits. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

The animation itself showcases some adventurous moments. The camera swoops, jolts, and lurches with the grotesque energy of its subjects. With point-of-view shots, quick jump scares, and lingering close ups that give the film a tangible nastiness that feels perfectly Dahlian. In design terms, it leans closer to Laika than Illumination being gritty, textural, a-symmetrical and proudly weird. The Muggle-Wumps resemble something straight out of Missing Link, while Mr. Twit could easily wander into ParaNorman without anyone blinking.

Though retconning the Muggle-Wumps as magical creatures from Loompa Land works well enough, less successful are the “fuzzball” side characters who appear and seem clearly designed with merchandising in mind. They add little to the plot and feel like an attempt to conjure a new line of Minions. It’s a cynical touch and a trap that a lot of features fall into.

The Twits. Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit in The Twits. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

Johnny Vegas delivers a standout turn as Mr. Twit, balancing grotesque buffoonery with flashes of genuine menace. You get the sense the actors were encouraged to improvise, and that looseness pays off, there’s a brilliantly silly gag about confusing “diarrhoea” with “diorama.” There’s also a moment involving a dead father’s watch, which lands exactly the way you’d expect from a seasoned comic like Vegas.

Mrs. Twit, meanwhile, is as vile as ever, though one might wish for a bit more of her book counterpart’s twisted inventiveness as opposed to the ambitious uber-Karen we are delivered. The southern states American drawl of Margo Martindale and St Helens own Johnny Vegas make quite the odd couple. The relationship between the Twits is still gloriously toxic though, and the film milks it where it can, gross, frequently funny, and always unpleasant in exactly the right way.

The Twits. (L to R) Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in The Twits. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

The Twit’s is a bold, messy, and unapologetically weird attempt to expand the world of Dahl using some of his best known characters. It might not be the definitive adaptation of the authors work, but it’s one of the more entertaining ones. It respects the story’s spirit while expanding it in service of the promise of a wider universe without forgetting the purpose of the original story, offering a grotesque morality tale that’s both timely and timeless.

The Twits is out on Netflix from the 17 October

The post The Twits – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Presented by Steve Henderson.

Reporting from Anima 2025, Join Skwigly Editor Steve Henderson as he meets some of the award winning filmmakers who took home awards at Brussels premiere animation event! In this podcast we meet Anne Verburer, the director of The Golden Donkey,  Pierre-Luc Granjon, the director of The Night Boots and to Violette Delvoye, the director of The Mud Under My Window as well as finding out more about the animation festival that takes place in the heart of Europe.

Produced and edited by Steve Henderson

Music by Ben Mitchell

Anima returns 20 February to 1 March 2026

The post Skwigly at Anima Brussels 2025 Podcast Special appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

LITTLE AMÉLIE © Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, 2 Minutes, France 3 Cinéma, Puffin Pictures, 22D Music

Amélie narrates the tale so that we discover the world through her, and with it the challenges of life, death, love and belonging – all complex and nuanced topics for a toddler but presented in a way that embraces the audience in an empathetic blend of pitch perfect sequences that carry the story forward. Though a film about a child, it should not be labelled as a children’s film as the drama creates moments of heart pounding tension where you imagine the cruelty of grief has led to a drastic choices by some characters.

LITTLE AMÉLIE © Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, 2 Minutes, France 3 Cinéma, Puffin Pictures, 22D Music

As our hero grows and forms a bond with Nishio-San, who has been assigned by stern landlady Kashima-San to care for the house, Amélie comes to understand the world around her and the major changes that will challenge her perspective of the world.

And what a world she inhabits, rendered beautifully by directors Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. Adopting a similar style to Rémi Chayé (who worked on this film), the visuals remind the audience of Long Way North or Calamity, but an evolution of those that gives the directing duo their own distinction, diving into surrealism and fantasy as well as enjoying the spectacle of nature. There is a beautiful sequence where Amélie captures the essence of the seaside within a glass jar, and it feels although the directors have managed to do the same by presenting a synaesthetic masterclass of visuals. Lighting plays a huge roll in this film as the flat, pastel colours are caressed by bold light that adds shape to the characters and sprinkles vivid purples, turquoises and reds throughout the landscape to deliver a film that feels like it has been crafted rather than simply made.

LITTLE AMÉLIE © Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, 2 Minutes, France 3 Cinéma, Puffin Pictures, 22D Music

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain reminds us to enjoy life in spite of the challenges it presents and to find the joy in being present, hypnotising its audience with its masterful command of imagery, a tender soundtrack and wonderful storytelling. It is simply gorgeous.

The post ANNECY 2025: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

“From visionary director Genndy Tartakovsky comes “Fixed,” an adult animated comedy about Bull, an average, all-around good dog who discovers he’s going to be neutered in the morning! As the gravity of this life-altering event sets in, Bull realises he needs one last adventure with his pack of best friends as these are the last 24 hours with his balls! What could go wrong…?”

From the outset this film has a singular mission to make you laugh by being as crude as possible. Expect adult content, prepare for a lot of it and understand that it will be relenting and dialled up. This might take the fun out of it for people expecting adult animation to be sole domain of thought provoking, intellectual films – like spending time with chin stroking intellectuals in a wine bar. However, this film is like spending time with your drunken mates down the pub, you’ll have a good laugh but you won’t learn anything in the process.

Fixed – Courtesy Netflix

The crowning glory of this film is by far the animation. It’s everything that the ‘bring back 2D animation’ crowd have been yearning for over the years. The characters move in such a hilarious way, that heightens the film further, layering the humour. Even when the characters are still, the drawings as ridiculously funny. It is a film that oozes 2D animation appeal.

The cast are clearly invested, with Adam Devine perfect in the role of the pent up Bull and Idris Elba grunts and grows his lines as Rocco. It’s Katherine Hahn who steals the show as Honey, ensuring that by being just as dirty and crude as the boys that ensures this film has at least a slither of feminine energy. All the characters serve a purpose, and their camaraderie keeps the story moving, even when the gags wear thin.

Fixed – Courtesy Netflix

The gags are well delivered by the cast and expertly drawn by the crew, but I feel like i’ve seen or heard every one of them before, this is not a massive problem but it lands in the realm of stoner humour, so if you are expecting the combined efforts of this film to push boundaries or change the face of animation you may find yourself disappointed.

With thanks to Flow, Annecy 2024 was the year of the cat. A sophisticated film with a quiet, graceful sophistication befitting the feline attitude, took the festival and then the world by storm. Fixed makes 2025 is the year of the dog and they couldn’t be further apart by comparison. The latest from Genndy Tartakovsky forgoes sophistication, instead rolling around in the mud, slobbering at it’s own crotch and howling at passersby.

Through comedy, animation and writing Fixed is a film that is completely true to itself, which is a rare thing to see in the feature landscape. How the audience react will be down to taste. For some it’ll be a dogs dinner, for others it’ll be the mutts nuts. Either way it’s barking mad.

The post ANNECY 2025: Fixed – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

His latest feature film screens at Annecy this week and shares the life of Marcel Pagnol, revered Marseille based film director, who steered the course of French cinema when he left a successful theatre career to pursue the silver screen. A relative unknown in the UK, this film serves as a straight biography, albeit with some fantastical elements.

A Magnificent Life

The movie follows Pagnol from his early beginnings in Provence to becoming France’s leading cultural hero. We witness him growing up from a curious boy, enchanted by words and stories, into a playwright and director whose own productions would strike roots in the French cinematic heritage. Along the way, we encounter the strongest players in his life: his paternal and maternal mentors, a schoolteacher mother and hard but gentle father, and the artists and muses he met en route. Chomet weaves this life story together with a rich visual vocabulary, cross-cutting memory and imagination, history, fact and legend.

The film may be faulted for following a very linear biographical path, but viewers can easily become enticed by the charms of Chomet’s unique look and bask as we return to another richly realised environment of his making. The ploy of bringing “Mr Pagnol,” a man weighed down by his own history, into contact with “Marcel,” a nearly Dickensian spectre of his old self, is beneficial for the film. As tragedy strikes Pagnol’s life and the story progresses, the ghosts gather, ending in a bittersweet, softly powerful finale.

A Magnificent Life

With this being Chomet’s third animated feature film, it would be difficult not to compare to the previous two and with A Magnificent Life it seems the director is venturing closer and closer to reality. This film is a far cry from the lavishly grotesque animal caricatures that populated Belleville and its story is rooted in reality which takes it away from the whimsical narrative that The Illusionist provided. Audiences would be forgiven for wondering why make this film in animation, but with Chomet’s penmanship you’re glad it was. Though the film offers a few cameos from familiar characters this might also make you pine for his older caricatured style.

Like The Illusionist, the story lacks a tangible antagonist, instead delivering pockets of biographical storytelling, such as encounters with Nazi censorship, emerging and resolving within a short amount of time as opposed to lingering throughout. This isn’t a failure of storytelling but rather a consequence of the biographical format. To Chomets credit he remains true to the story and avoids manufacturing conflict and steers the film along a more contemplative route like The Illusionist, rather than a gripping one as with Belleville Rendez-Vous. 

A Magnificent Life

Being an uncultured oaf, I will admit to knowing very little of Pagnol when I started watching, in the UK his works have only been screened on occasion and his francocentric achievements may not capture the hearts and minds of my fellow countrymen. However by the end I cared greatly for the man and his achievements, which is a testament to the skill at which his story has been told by Chomet.

A Magnificent Life is a clear labour of love from Sylvain Chomet. There is a thread throughout the film about detaching from what is expected of you, be that from your accent, comforts, successes, authority or from yourself, which resonated well. Through retelling the life of Pagnol, Chomet reminds us of the beauty of humanity that animation can capture and in doing so, presents a film that will haunt the viewer long after the credits start rolling. A sincere work of animation, celebrating a man whose life was as rich in spirit as Chomet’s animation is in detail.

The post ANNECY 2025: A Magnificent Life – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX

Part of the characters longevity is the adaptability of the format, a blend of classic good versus evil stories coupled with tongue in cheek heroics and slapstick. The pun-lovin’ names might have got with the times, with Romans and Gauls called Metadata and Onemillionclix, but they sit alongside original names like Vitalstatistix and Cassius Ceramics with ease showcasing a little of why the adventures of the Gaulish village have stood out against invading criticism.

The franchise has had its ups and downs, with both live action and 2D films of varying quality to look back on. From Asterix and the Vikings to Asterix Conquers America, all the way back to Asterix and Cleopatra and more recently, CGI offerings such as The Mansions of the Gods. Now, with Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight led by Alain Chabat and Fabrice Joubert, we see the format taken from feature to series and a fresh animated take arrives making this latest Asterix feel more like a rebirth than a simple return.

2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX

Though on the surface this CG Asterix might seem like Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion but the animation is a cut above. This might be expected from co-director Fabrice Joubert, Director of French Roast – a classic animated short film that utilises every ounce of the French farce scenario to deliver a slapstick routine that honours the best French comics. All the energy and characterful mastery of that film is utilised in this series. It’s not only with the character performances, but also with what we are presented with. This isn’t a show afraid to experiment or subvert expectations, especially after Getafix has his unfortunate incident leading to the animation becoming a playground for his fractured psyche to run wild.

The animation sits well among the slick approach to production design, which makes this the most original animated take but also the closest thing we will get to the comics. This is evident from the start as the Gaulish village fight against the Romans. We’ve seen this many times in animation, but never with this much flair, complete with bold, graphic PAF! SLAP! BIF! joining the characters onscreen, almost as characters themselves, adding to the on screen anarchy and fun. The onomatopoeic sounds dance across the screens as the Gauls make short work of the romans in a way never done before, even with a large feature budget. This is bolder and brighter than previous CGI Asterix adaptations and doesn’t just borrow from the visual inventiveness of Spider-verse (the production designer is a Spider-verse veteran), it utilises it in a way which honours it’s own comic origins, much more Uderzo than Kirby.

2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX

The stylish experimentation isn’t reserved for the set pieces as this series is not afraid to go against the norm by changing the colour of the sky (without having it fall in on their heads), turning up the contrast or using silhouette to play homage to the inky pages of the original adventures.

Expect some story surprises and additional characters as this is not a straight adaptation of the original, but in keeping with it – plussing the original comic story and combining with some unexpected elements from the pages of others. whilst remaining true to the anarchic energy and vibrant characters whilst modernising it with some accomplishment. How do you make the invincible Obelix vulnerable? How do you give Asterix space to shine? These tricky elements are handled wonderfully.

2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX

The one negative I have to share is the English dubbing. The voices have too much of a soundalike quality to them. We’ve had everyone from Bill Oddie to Craig Charles -even Paul Giamatti in the past, If they wanted Martin Freeman as Asterix, Nick Frost to return as Obelix and Charles Dance as Julius Caesar, why not pay for them? Not that the dubbing actors have done a bad job, I’d just rather have had the actors the dub artists were emulating or to have seen the dubbing actors allowed to find their own voice for the characters. Using A-listers would’ve upped the profile of this series and made it more prominent on everyones algorithm, allowing the dubbing actors room to find their own character would’ve honoured the creative spirit seen throughout the rest of the production.

2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX

The story fits well on Netflix, allowing each episode to stand alone and build the story gradually, making very bingeable bite-sized portions. Like Wallace & Gromit, the adventures of Asterix is something of an outlier to what tradition might consider good for audiences. Adventures of beer bellied, moustachioed, middle aged people, full of dad jokes, puns and comic devices is enough to make most commissioners turn off, but living up to his indomitable epithet Asterix remains a tale for the ages. Like the best comic adaptations, it does not take itself too seriously, but seriously enough to know that fans are watching and as a fan I can tell that fans made this series, and I am go grateful that they did. 

Asterix and the Big Fight is not a simple return to the world of Asterix and Obelix, it’s more of a rebirth, honouring the past whilst keeping an eye on the future. We hope in the hands of Netflix, Alain and Fabrice that Asterix & Obelix are here to stay. This is a series that packs a magic potion-fuelled punch!

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight hits Netflix on 30 April.

The post Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight – Packs a Magic Potion Fuelled Punch! appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

L-R Dave Anderson, Joe Hogan, Sammi Duong, Ana Songel, Linda Hughes, Steve Henderson

Produced and edited by Steve Henderson
Music by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly at MOVE Summit 2025 Podcast Special appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Flow

Flow is the second feature film by Zilbalodis, whose debut film Away premiered in 2019 to critical success, winning the Contrechamp Award at Annecy Festival. Flow itself won the Jury Award and Audience Award for a Feature Film at Annecy 2024 as well as winning at Ottowa and Manchester Animation Festival. In a tradition started when he won the Golden Globe earlier in the year, Zilbalodis took to Instagram posing at In and Out Burger, in tribute to Paul Giamatti.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gints Zilbalodis (@gzilbalodis)

In the Shadow of the Cypress by Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi, another dialogue free animated film, took home the Best Animated Short Film Award. The Iranian short about a tumultuous father and daughter relationship was completed in spite of the challenges Iranian artists find themselves living under, with a devalued currency and punishing economic sanctions. You can read our interview with the directors here

In the Shadow of the Cypress © Barfak Studio

Elsewhere the Denis Villeneuve directed Dune: Part Two won the award for Best Visual Effects.

Whist it is usual for a film like Flow to win big on the festival circuit, the Hollywood award circuit tends to favour the traditional blockbuster. For a small team of Latvians, animating a silent film using free software, far from the Hollywood hills, and winning against a pantheon of large studios, previous Oscar winners, and streamers represents a seismic shift in the status quo. It also offers hope that this award, often neglected by Academy voters, will receive more interest in the future. Flow might be a film about a cat, but in animation terms the 97th academy awards has proven to be the year of the underdog.

Flow is released in UK cinemas March 21st. Read our interview with director Gints Zilbalodis here.

The post Flow by Gints Zilbalodis wins the Oscar appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Steve Henderson in conversation with Adam Elliot, director of Memoir of a Snail

The now Oscar nominated feature film tells the story of Grace Pudel a book-loving, snail-collecting misfit that falls into a series of misfortunes after being separated from her twin brother Gilbert. Despite her hardships, inspiration and hope arise when Grace begins a friendship with an eccentric elderly woman named Pinky.

Anyone familiar with the work of writer, director Adam Elliot from his Oscar winning film Harvey Krumpet or his first feature film Mary and Max, will know that the director has an innate ability to make the unloved subjects of his worlds very much adored by audiences and Memoir of a Snail is no stranger to that formula. Built on a budget that most features wouldn’t even begin pre-production with, the film is not only a work of art, but also a labour of love, evident through the writing, construction and all round execution of this sincere work of genius.

This interview was recorded the day after it’s world premiere at Annecy festival where it got a well earned standing ovation, but we’ve squirrelled away our chat until now with the hope that after listening you’ll all go out and support this film in UK cinemas.

Read the full review on Skwigly.com www.skwigly.co.uk/annecy-2024-memo…-a-snail-review/

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to watch more One-To-Ones and subscribe to the Skwigly Podcast feed from your favourite podcast provider.

Guest: Adam Elliot
Presented, edited and produced by: Steve Henderson
Music and graphics: Ben Mitchell

The post Animation One-To-Ones Episode #35 Adam Elliot (Memoir of a Snail) appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Gromit’s concern that Wallace (Ben Whitehead) is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

Time has moved on in this universe and although time has been kind to the man and dog duo, P.C Mackintosh (Peter Kay) finds himself aged, promoted to Chief Inspector and on the cusp of retirement. Unlike the vintage village bobby he played in Were Rabbit, in this film he plays more of an old school relic, a copper led by his gut (often mistakenly) with a ruthless “nick em’ first and get evidence later” streak to him that wouldn’t seem out of place in Life on Mars. It’s nice to see a bit of cynicism among the usual nostalgia. Alongside the hairy lipped lawman is P.C Mukherjee (Lauren Patel), fresh on the beat and eager to please, who brings a contrasting, bright and youthful energy to West Wallaby Street that we’ve not seen before, along with an intelligence that characters beside Gromit rarely exhibit. The contradictory interactions between the two are a highlight.

The Art of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl [Hardcover Book]

£30.63

Official art book revealing the process of making the Oscar®-nominated stop-motion animated film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, featuring concept art, sketches, behind-the-scenes photography and interviews with Aardman’s key creatives.

Buy Now

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Image: BBC/Aardman

The magic that maintained Feathers McGraws mystery is lovingly preserved in this film. Less is more is recognised both in story and animation and whilst the dastardly penguin’s actions need to be bigger and bolder as the stakes are raised from quiet lodger on the rob to jailbird masterminding both an escape and an elaborate heist, when he is in motion his silent actions are just, if not more evil than his activity in his previous outing. Assisting the evil doing is Norbot, Wallace’s latest invention remotely corrupted (in a fantastic sequence, paying homage to the museum heist) by the flippered fiend. Reece Shearsmith joins an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the voice cast, straddling the line between gleeful malice and helpful enthusiasm  with every hilarious line.

Image: BBC/Aardman

Music plays a massive role here, exciting, thrilling and delivering pangs of nostalgia throughout the film. The nostalgic rhythms are used throughout and make direct references to past films. Heroic tones when the bike from A Close Shave is unveiled, a familiar dramatic sting when Feathers confronts Wallace. If any criticism can be levelled at this film it’s that it treads old ground. On the surface there isn’t a story line that doesn’t, at least in some part, revisit the past. However as a direct sequel it cannot help but honour them visually and musically whilst peppering the film with plenty of new material that fits the world perfectly and adds to the much loved canon. The finale is both hilarious, thrilling and emotional in equal measure, doing what Aardman do best.

Image: BBC/Aardman

Whilst The Wrong Trousers is a half-hour that feels like a feature film, this feature film leaves the audience feeling like they’ve just watched a short, the steady pace of the gags and the way the story unfolds means that this film fits comfortably into it’s 70 minute runtime, which was a problem for their previous outing, which needed longer to breath, but here the pacing is perfect.

So, after 16 long years of on screen absence you’d be forgiven to think we were not going to see much from the pair again but Crossingham and Park have managed to pull off something special. Their master plan has worked and the heist was a complete success, pulling Wallace and Gromit out of the history section and back into the hearts of an adoring public. 

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl screens on BBC One Christmas Day and then on iPlayer after before releasing internationally on Netflix from the 3rd January 2025 and in the U.K later in 2025. And you can hear from co-directors Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham as well as voice of Wallace Ben Whitehead in the latest Skwigly Animation Podcast

Related Recommendations

The Art of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl [Hardcover Book]

£30.63

Official art book revealing the process of making the Oscar®-nominated stop-motion animated film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, featuring concept art, sketches, behind-the-scenes photography and interviews with Aardman’s key creatives.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

Wallace & Gromit: The Collection [DVD]

£8.49

From the Academy Award®-winning Nick Park. This collection features four half-hour specials starring the Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

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We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Soundtrack [Vinyl]

£77.00

Includes a 4-page booklet with an exclusive drawing by director Nick Park, the soundtrack to the 2024 Academy Award-nominated Netflix film, music by Emmy-nominated composer Lorne Balfe and BAFTA-nominated composer Julian Nott.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

The post Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Based on the bestselling book written by Carys Bexington, illustrated by Kate Hindley both book and film, as the title might suggest, is a mixture of the mistletoed merriment of ‘T’was the Night Before Christmas’ and the mirth and madness of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, putting jolly Saint Nick up against the decapitation delirious Queen of Hearts.

Bringing together a stellar cast including Gerard Butler (Saint Nick), Emilia Clarke (The Queen of Hearts) and Simone Ashley (Alice) the film sees our Christmas champion and his team of Reindeer take a dive into Wonderland where they have the enormous task of converting the mad monarch from a scrooge-like tinsel hater to a heartfelt christmas lover in order to save Christmas for everyone.

Staying faithful to the books (as Lupus is known for), the design of the film delivers a unique Santa and coupled with Gerard Butler’s enthusiastic vocal boisterousness. As he should Santa really shines in this feature and paired with the ferocious Queen of Hearts, delivered with mischievous, brattish energy from Emilia Clarke, the film makes for an entertaining tale, full of ingenuity, and enough twists and turns to stand out from the slew of Santa centric adventures that fight for our attention every year. From a technical point of view the animation is great too and though clearly rigged – a departure from the crayon heavy stylings we have grown used to from the studio, it faithfully fits the source material and allows the lavishly detailed character designs to move as they should.

Packed with all the ingredients that make a festive film memorable and endearing the film is a yummy yuletide treat for the whole family and is available to stream now on Sky Cinema in the UK, Now TV in Canada as well as Amazon and Hulu. We caught up with Director Peter Baynton and Producer Ruth Feilding to discuss The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland.

Ruth, When I came to the studio when you were making Mog I was told that there was a top secret project happening upstairs in the studio – this was clearly that project! How did this film end up at Lups Films?

Ruth Fielding – We started working on this about four or five years ago while making other projects. Helen McAleer, then at Macmillan, brought us the book, saying it had a bit of a Christmas special feel. Camilla and I looked at it, loved Kate Hindley’s illustrations, and appreciated how Carys cleverly mashed The Night Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland together. It felt like a no-brainer. We optioned the book, developed it as a half-hour Christmas special, and later showed it to Universal. They loved it and suggested developing it into a feature.

Once we got the green light—which takes forever, with lots of development work—we commissioned Guy Chambers and Amy to write songs, as it was going to be a musical. We expanded the story with Sarah Daddy’s screenplay; she’d just written the first Puffin Rock feature, so we knew she could write a feature, but we didn’t realize how amazing she’d be at rhyming couplets. The book, like The Gruffalo, is all in rhyming couplets, and while we doubted it could work in a feature, once we committed to that rule, there was no turning back.

By the time we were greenlit, Peter had started The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. We really wanted him to direct, so we waited, storyboarding with him remotely—a process that took about nine months. Once the animatic was signed off, Peter was free, and he came back to direct it.

Director Peter Baynton and Producer Ruth Fielding of Lupus Films

You must be sick of animating snow Peter?

Peter Baynton – (Laughs) You want to get into specifics? Animating snow is harder than you think. There’s the falling snow and then the snow on the ground—do characters leave footprints? What’s the snow’s characteristic? In The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, we made all the footprints, but for this film, we decided early on not to because it’s essentially a whole additional department you need.

We also had to decide which sequences would have falling snow and which would just show snow on the ground. We picked the moments that needed to feel the most Christmassy for falling snow, as even that’s tricky. You need to maintain consistency in speed and density from shot to shot, especially when moving from a wide shot to a close-up. Sometimes, even if it’s technically consistent, it can suddenly look faster or denser. It’s a pain!

Lupus Films have delivered Father Christmas in animated form before, how do you make him unique every time?

RF – Our Saint Nick is entirely made by Gerard Butler—he did such an amazing job, I can’t imagine anyone else playing him. The great thing about this mash-up is that there could be others—Saint Nick venturing into another fairy tale, perhaps.

Gerard was a real find. We shot for the moon, thinking, Who do we really want? I never thought he’d say yes. Through a friend of a friend of Camilla’s—a Scottish connection in LA—we got the script and songs to him. As soon as he read it, he was all in: ‘I’ve got to do this.’

It wasn’t easy. The actors’ strike hit, and at one point, we thought it wouldn’t happen. He was devastated but pleaded, ‘Please wait for me.’ And we did. He truly is our Saint Nick, and I can’t imagine anyone else in the role.

PB – Gerard has so much energy and such a huge heart—he’s kind, gentle, and playful, like a kid. All of that went into Saint Nick, making it a perfect match.

What really struck me about this mash-up of Wonderland and Saint Nick is the contrast between organisation and chaos. Wonderland is unpredictable, chaotic, and nonsensical, while Saint Nick’s Christmas operation is probably the most logistically complex mission imaginable—putting DHL or FedEx to shame. He’s a man on a mission, thrown into a world that’s the complete antithesis of that.

What’s lovely is that, while Saint Nick is focused and determined, he also has a fun-loving side. He’s happy to pause, relax, have a cup of tea, and share a laugh. That combination was very appealing as a story.

The film captures the design of the book with a rigged animation style. Can you tell us about the design process?

PB – Early on—almost in our first or second meeting—we decided the film should look like the book. It felt important and, honestly, obvious. Kate Hindley, the illustrator, visited the studio early in the process and assumed we’d take her designs, toss them out, and start fresh. But that never occurred to us—her illustrations are gorgeous, full of charm, texture, patterns, and lovely detail. It would’ve been a waste not to use them as a strong basis for the film.

We chose rigged cel animation because it was more practical given the level of detail. Saint Nick’s beard is scribbly, his fur trim has intricate shading, everyone has freckles, and their cheeks are hatched in. If we’d drawn it in 2D, we’d either lose much of that detail or spend decades making the film. Rigged cel animation let us keep Kate’s beautiful designs and bring them to life.

RF – It feels like a cut-out pop-up book, with that aesthetic of opening pages. It suited cel animation well—almost like a proscenium arch stage where characters move side to side. But designing for a feature film meant we had to consider the detail, texture, and depth needed to make it feel like a movie, not just a TV episode or a book.

The idea of not using Kate Hindley’s illustrations never crossed our minds. She’s so lovely and assumed we’d redesign everything, but instead, she became a kind of associate art director. She contributed many character and location designs, working closely with our art director, Anna Stevens. It was a very collaborative process, which was really nice.

You’ve worked on music videos, short films, specials and now features, is there more room to play with a feature?

PB – I’m not sure if it’s a difference between shorts and features, but I’m always looking to play—probably to the production team’s annoyance! Especially with sequences on the roof, in the bedroom, and other set pieces, we loved figuring them out and finding bits of humour to add.

It was great collaborating with Sarah, our writer. For example, there’s a moment on the roof where we storyboarded it and thought, This could use a few lines. We’d send it to Sarah, she’d write some, send them back, and we’d go back and forth. It was a really rewarding process. I suppose that’s where having a bit more time on a feature film becomes a luxury—you can develop those moments more fully.

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland is available to stream now on Sky Cinema in the UK. You can hear the full interview with Peter and Ruth on the Skwigly Animation Podcast.

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Friends, Romans, Gaulishmen, lend me your ears for today Netflix have unveiled the teaser and new photos of its highly anticipated animated series: ASTÉRIX & OBÉLIX: THE BIG FIGHT created by Alain Chabat.

Based on the comic of the same name, the teaser demonstrates the well known anarchic energy of the comics, created by the legendary René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and offers viewers a lot to be excited for by Toutatis!! Aside from a first look event at Annecy in 2024, the teaser is among the first we’ve seen of the anticipated antics of the Gaulish warriors.

Viewers will have to wait until spring 2025 to see how the series shapes up but for now the synopsis follows in the classic Asterix style.

Rome is desperate to conquer the last independent village in Gaul and the home of Asterix and Obelix. The secret to the Gauls’ battle superiority is a magic potion, but when the potion master loses his memory, the villagers are left to their own devices against the might of Rome.

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This film marks the directorial debut of Simon Otto, previously head of character animation at DreamWorks Animation and sees the original premise taken from Richard Curtis’s trilogy of books woven into an animated adventure in time for the holiday season.

L-R, Richard Curtis (Writer), Simon Otto (Director), Nicole P. Hearon (Producer)

Curtis and Christmas have become synonymous with one another with thanks to his live action rom com offerings such as Love Actually but through Locksmith this film marks his entrance into the animated feature world. The premise of the film fits the modus operandi of Curtis as a star studded cast of national treasures and comedy legends come together to deliver interweaving tales all set in the fictional Suffolk town of Wellington-on-Sea. Certain to indulge the seasonal senses of those warmed by the cozy familiarity of a comedy-drama Christmassy tales with more than enough animated excellence on display, you can read the full Skwigly review of the film here and catch That Christmas for yourself on Netflix now.

We caught up with Writer Richard Curtis, Producer Nicole P. Hearon and Director Simon Otto to find out more about the film.

You’re all from different backgrounds so I’ll start by asking what Christmas means to you all

Nicole P. Hearon – Well, it’s family. It’s about being together. I mean, that’s me, my biggest memories of opening the presents and just being together Christmas morning, running down the stairs into the living room, and then having your parents watch proudly as you see what Santa had chosen for us.

Simon Otto – Well, I’m from Switzerland, so Christmas works a little bit different in Switzerland, for me, it was anticipation. We would celebrate in Christmas Eve, looking out the window and see if it snowed overnight, because I came up from mountains my entire childhood was a White Christmas! I would go skiing first and then ski home, see the tree decorated and see how many gifts were under the under the tree that I get to open that night. So we had a 12 hour advantage over the British and the American kids!

Richard Curtis – Well, actually, we were a traveling family, lived in lots of countries, so it was very much about my small family. But Christmas for the last 25 years has become about lots of families. We celebrate it up in Suffolk, and there are about five families who live in the same little village, which is very much what this film is about, not only my family, but see what’s happening with all the others, and then trying to think of a good excuse not to do the Christmas morning swim, which everyone else in the village does!

The film is based on the books by yourself and Rebecca Cobb – was the intention to eventually turn them into an animated feature?

RC – No, but it’s such a joy to move them all together. It’s like when we started Mr. Bean, it was originally three stage sketches that Rowan and I did it with three different characters. And then when we thought we were going to adapt them for TV, we thought, let’s make it the same guy in each of the situations, and that’s what’s happened here. There were three different worlds, and we just said, let’s shove them all in the same town.

That Christmas. (L to R) Mrs McNutt, Mr McNutt, Mrs Mulji, Mr Forrest, Mrs Forrest, in That Christmas. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Did adapting the short stories to feature offer additional challenges?

RC – I think we realised pretty quickly that all the stories needed to be doubled and made so they were all one incident, without looking much at the past and future the characters. I’ve done adaptations before, and actually, all you’re doing is shrinking. You take a 400 page book and you’re trying to squeeze it into 120 minute film. But in this case, it was all about expanding and interweaving the universes. So that made it a lot of fun to think through every character and what their extra story might be.

Simon, as head of character at DreamWorks, you get the ideal opportunity as director to play with the characters. The Twins present an amazing chance to take the same designs and rigs and have fun with them.

SO – I’m a strong believer in the power of performance. It’s reflected in the way people hold themselves, walk, or gesture. One of my favourite things to do is sit in a train station and observe people going about their day, assigning personalities to them in my mind. Sometimes, I’ll sit with friends—like my niece—or others I love sharing this with, and we’ll throw dialogue at these passersby, imagining what might be going through their heads. It’s hilarious because it reveals how we interpret someone’s appearance, their body shape, and especially their movements and mannerisms.
Finding those idiosyncrasies in a broader context is fascinating. For instance, if you’re working with just two characters, it’s easier to distinguish them. But with a group of five kids, it becomes more complex. We had so much fun exploring that. From the outset, what drew me to Richard’s films is his love for action and his multi-threaded storytelling, where various characters intersect. His ability to craft sketch comedy blends seamlessly with the opportunity to create a rich palette of characters, which was immediately appealing to me.
I was drawn to the fact that this story doesn’t rely on a big, fantastical idea or a traditional villain. The blizzard itself is the antagonist. While some characters are initially ambiguous, their layers unfold as the story progresses. It’s unusual for animation, and that uniqueness is what excited me. I always root for animated films that take risks, offering something fresh and different. I hope audiences who watch our film will feel the same spark I did while creating it.

That Christmas. Santa in That Christmas. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Nicole, with a background working on Frozen you’re not stranger to putting snow in a film! In terms of technological advances in animation, would you read a huge blizzard in the script as a challenge?

NH – It’s a challenge that I want to accept. As soon as we get a script we sat with Visual Effect Supervisor Doug Eichler to look where the snow is, and then we immediately get together our tech team and figure out the most efficient way to do that. I remember the tech team created a box of snow so when we never would have falling snow, you’d have a box of snow around the camera. And that technology was created before we started production, so that when we could hit the ground running, when we go, okay, falling snow, and it wasn’t a big deal. So a lot of it is just in the planning of it, putting our heads together, and then also working with Simon in terms of snow interaction with feet. There’s some we’d have to pick and choose, what shots we’d have that in, but that was a conversation among us, what are the most important shots to see that in? It’s a constant collaboration.

SO – It was also an opportunity. We didn’t know how much emotion was connected to just falling snow. You think, ‘Okay, well, there’s a shot, and there’s falling snow’ and all of a sudden, you change the way the snow falls, and you add a bit of atmosphere. It was playful and seductive at one point, all of a sudden it was threatening, and that was a huge opportunity. From the first Frozen film to today, like there’s a lot more that is straight out of the box, so I think that’s why we survived it.

Coming from live-action, these conversations must just boggle the mind Richard?

RC – Yeah I was just thinking that! And I was thinking how, in the way the snow is almost like a second score, isn’t it? It’s a visual score, so that all the way through, you can try and work out, as it were, the music. Has the snow music gone scary?
The great thing is, I trust everybody, I don’t understand most of it, but almost everything has been a good revelation. We were focusing so much at the start with such simple drawings and on the story and the jokes and the dialog all the time. And it’s so wonderful to think there’s another group of people who’ve got this huge gift they’re going to give you, which is, the snow and the design, and particularly for me, the final stage. I hadn’t realised the emotional delicacy, in a way, of the characterisation and how much that was going to move on in the last 25%.
I thought, well, there are the sketches, and then there’s the horrible stage when they all turn into sort of Minecraft, and then the last, I didn’t realise is that the gap between the first proper animation and the finished product was so large, it was almost like you’ve got your performance from an actor, and then you can just make it twice as intense. Just by the way that the characters can express four emotions in two seconds. You know that the finished shot suddenly has shock, relief, panic, but all done in seconds was so exciting to me.

That Christmas. Bill in That Christmas. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Being able to control the talent or creating Wellington-on-Sea rather than going to Suffolk and asking the council to close streets must have it’s benefits.

SO – We visited Suffolk multiple times since it wasn’t far, bringing the art team along to deeply study it. We aimed to distill the town’s essence—what makes it both recognisable and authentic, yet slightly caricatured. The goal was to create a storybook feel, a place you’d want to visit and linger in, without it becoming overly picturesque. Suffolk’s natural beauty made this easier, but we wanted it to feel like a real town where real people live simple, meaningful lives. Unlike animation’s usual fantastical worlds, we focused on capturing a sense of authenticity that evokes emotion—a task that was both challenging and rewarding.

Animation offers limitless possibilities, would you consider using it to finally silence the people wanting more from your back catalogue of film or TV Richard? Would you bring back an animated Vicar of Dibley or Blackadder?

RC – I might have given a different answer 20 years ago, but it’s takes quite a long time to do animation, and I’m getting quite old. I mean, strangely, we did do it on Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean was a very interesting thing where there’s kind of a limit how much we can do when we turn that into an animated show, where we’ve been able to do so many of them. That’s a very sweet idea – can I do a sequel to one of my movies, at last, without having to work with Hugh Grant! (laughs) Because that’s the main thing stopping me. I don’t know, I’ll have to put my mind to that.

SO – An animated Vicar of Dibley, I’m in! You all heard him right? He said he’s going to do it, are we going to do an animated sequel to the Vicar of Dibley?

Who needs journalists when you’ve got Simon Otto pushing your buttons! The cast bring so much to the movie, was it an easy process to cast them?

SO – When you approach a big-name actor and mention it’s an animated Richard Curtis movie, there’s an instant willingness to listen. The rare times we couldn’t secure someone were mostly due to scheduling conflicts.

RC – We used Rachel Frack, who is my favourite casting person, who did the Office – one of the great triumphs of casting. She’s brilliant with quirky British talent, and casting, for me, is 65% of making a live-action movie. Here, the process was different but similar: the actors didn’t need to look the part, just capture the essence. Since you can’t really audition for animation, we compiled “voice maps” of actors we admired. Listening to their voices without their faces often surprised us—someone with a gentle face might have a harsh or monotonous voice. At least we didn’t have to make those judgments in front of them!

SO -That’s true. I see voice casting as the final step of character design, while Richard focuses on the essence of performance. We’d test voices against the character drawings, where the timbre of a voice conveys so much. I cared less about accents or initial performance details because you only really know an actor’s range once they’re in the booth. We aimed high, bringing in talents like Bill Nighy, Brian Cox, Jodie Whittaker, and Fiona Shaw, who reliably deliver greatness. The key question was whether their voice completed the character’s essence. Many great actors don’t naturally fit a caricatured style, so their voices might not fully embody the character until combined with the animation.

That Christmas from Locksmith Animation is streaming on Netflix now. You can hear the full interview on an upcoming Skwigly Animation Podcast.

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Penned by animation legend Richard Williams, the book is not just a tome designed for students, but a guiding hand produced for professionals and amateurs alike. Whilst A.I makes the doubtable promise of “democratising” whatever craft it subjects itself to Williams was democratising animation in the pen and paper age and the book stands to this day, cutting through the glib promises that art requires no dedication, leaving pixelated Picassos in the dust.

Though the guidebook has plenty of images that are the instant go-to for most folks, it becomes clear when reading the words in The Animators Survival Kit that the knowledge shared comes from a passionate and experienced place. Both the book and the career and films of Williams have cemented his legend and made him a figure of much debate and study. When Williams passed away in 2019 he left behind a half finished follow up to The Animators Survival Kit – Adventures in Animation, now completed using his notes by his wife, producer and collaborator Imogen Sutton.

Whilst his 2016 film Prologue seemed like something of a last hurrah from the seasoned animator decades past retirement and still going, Adventures in Animation treats extends Williams opus beyond his significant lifespan proving he had too much talent for a single mortal existence.

Billed as more of an autobiography than a guidebook for animators, the book is crammed full of wisdom. Establishing itself as more of a life story in a traditional way, explaining the family tree, the story soon begins to focus not on Williams himself, but on the influences that shaped his life, his mother, grandfather, etc. through to his teachers and the legends of animation that he invited to his studio.

Those expecting a traditional biography featuring a blow by blow soap opera of kids, marriages, divorces and drama will be left disappointed. This isn’t that book. Though his early years give ample detail of life at college, details of growing up and fantastic stories of hitch-hiking and close calls with bears in the wilderness as well as more difficult to tell stories of abuse, the book soon uses animated work as the milestones which the author explains his way through in wonderful detail.

As Williams continues through his career he begins to make the book less about himself and more about the people around him and what he learnt from them. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were reading the biography of Milt Kahl, Emery Hawkins, Art Babbit or Grim Natwick at times, but these mini biographies paint an intimate and personal portrait of the working lives of these legends and give the reader the opportunity to see them as human.

There comes a point in the book where fate forced Williams to lay down his pen and where Sutton takes over, turning the remaining pages into a collaboration and shifting perspectives with Sutton telling the remainder of the story. This comes at a point in the writing where their lives took a fabled turn and The Thief and the Cobbler was seized from them. The book does not suffer for this dynamic shift, if anything Sutton steers the story back towards the life story and away from the biography of other people that Williams rather got caught up in.

Co-authors Imogen Sutton and Richard Williams

Packed full of artwork from Thief and other productions this book allows you to take a guided tour through the life of Richard Williams as he walks you through his work and introduces you to those nearest and dearest to his professional career. The book closes with imparted wisdom from his own twitter account, proving that the author of The Animators Survival Kit, was throwing out survival skills until his last days.

The book is a magnificent thing to hold in your hands, lavishly designed with plenty of photos and artefacts from the director’s long career. and sits beautifully next to your copy of The Animators Survival Kit. The welcoming, accessible writing and characterful tone of Williams and Sutton should make this book a quick read for anyone. Like it’s companion piece, you will want to revisit this book over and over again.

Adventures in Animation: How I Learned Who I Learned From and What I Did with It is out now, and available from Amazon here.

Co-author Imogen Sutton is speaking at Manchester Animation Festival 2024 (10-14 November) and will be signing copies of the book as well as introducing a rare screening of The Thief and the Cobbler, A Moment in Time. 

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Joining Ben & Steve for this podcast which takes a deep dive into the art of animation’s oldest form is guest host Justin Johnson, Lead Programmer for the BFI Southbank and one of the brains behind the incredible season showcasing the art of stop motion animation. This special also features a bumper Stop Motion roundtable featuring some of the UK’s finest stop motion talents Osbert Parker (Clothes and Film Noir), Joseph Wallace (Salvation has no Name), Robert Morgan (The Cat with Hands, Bobby Yeah, Stop Motion) & Suzie Templeton (Dog, Peter and the Wolf) who go into detail about their inspirations, love for the medium and heroes as well as speaking about their own work too.

Osbert Parker, Joseph Wallace, Robert Morgan, Suzie Templeton

The perfect podcast for stop motion fans to accompany the perfect season, sit back and listen to the masters of their craft explain what the medium means to them.

This podcast special has been made possible with thanks to Justin Johnson, Richard Pickard and the team at the BFI.

Presented by Ben Mitchell & Steve Henderson
Guest host Justin Johnson
Edited and produced by Steve Henderson
Music by Ben Mitchell

Stop Motion: Celebrating Handmade Animation on the Big Screen takes place at BFI Southbank until 8 October 2024, with the free exhibition LAIKA: Frame x Frame open now until 1 October 2024.

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The Pixar sequel once more voyages into the mind of Riley and sees the return of joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger as their girl enters puberty and headquarters sees the introduction of newcomers Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui who take control of Riley launching the original emotions on an epic quest to regain Riley as she heads to hockey camp and needs the team more than ever. As the sequel dominates the box office Skwigly sat down with the duo to discuss arts styles, Easter Eggs, the future for Lance Slashblade and their loving tribute to veteran Pixar artist Ralph Eggleston.

Read our review of Inside Out 2 here

Interview conducted by Steve Henderson
Produced, edited and presented by Steve Henderson

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The film was a huge hit, and like the classics above is still being discovered today allowing audiences to indulge in the dramedy that delivers so much. The film was by no means a one hit wonder for the director Adam Elliot, who was best known for his Oscar win for Harvey Krumpet ahead of that and before then a series of short films detailing the biographical misfortune family members in deadpan detail. So it is with great anticipation Adam Elliot is returning to Annecy for the first time since his short film Ernie Biscuit was premiered, to deliver his new feature Memoir of a Snail.

Memoir of a Snail is the tale of Grace, a woman who we are introduced to in the midsts of tragedy as we meet her beside the deathbed of her best friend Pinkie. Narrating her own tale, Grace (voiced by Sarah Snook) acts as tour guide through her own calamitous life and tells the story of her upbringing through facial surgeries, parental departures, foster care, separation from her devoted twin brother, abusive marriages and hoarding. Hoarding is a vice for Grace but a treat for the audience, who are treated to the detail of a myriad of snail based objects constructed in Elliot’s inimitable style. The detail of this film is superb, as are the pathetic and ugly caricatured cast. The script is tight and well managed too, with every line delivering. For all the hilarious lines in the movie (“Masturbation is the thief of time!”) there are some charming nuggets of wisdom such as “life isn’t about looking backwards it’s about living forwards.” that balance the message of the film delightfully and bolster the relationships that Grace has throughout the feature.

The film took 8 years to complete and was done so on a very tight budget so naturally it will be compared to it’s predecessor. On the surface, is Memoir of a Snail as slick looking as Mary and Max? No. Does it need to be? Also no. These stories are not about the on screen frills, they centre around the character and the delivery, which is done with deft and excellence and in many cases this makes for a more risky film for the director who has crafted something without the gloss and safety net of his previous work and edges closer to the feel of the shorts. Whilst having Mary’s cute shuffle towards the postbox or Max’s lumbering gait through New York City added character, the story here calls for a little less and does not suffer for it, although it is worth noting that when the story calls for more frenzied movement it is served up on a platter. In short Memoir of a Snail is pure, undiluted Adam Elliot where perfection is celebrated through the imperfections.

Though a critical hit, Mary and Max wasn’t a commercial one, which goes some way to explain the time taken to raise finances and shoot the film, but there is hope. Adam Elliot did offer some encouragement when addressing the Annecy crowd in his introduction to the film when he said “It’s a wonderful time to be a stop motion animator, it can lead to so many wonderful places including this wonderful place” given the standing ovation that engulfed the Bonlieu for the entirety of the credits and beyond, this could hopefully be the time for Adam Elliot to hit the mainstream.

The post ANNECY 2024: Memoir of a Snail Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

The world Annecy has begun celebrating in recent years seems to be aiming towards a mainstream view of animation and something that certainly builds on the appearance of Guillermo Del Toro who, in 2022 bombastically enthused that ‘Animation is not a fucking genre!’ to a frenzied Bonleiu. It’s great to see these filmmakers who are either heavily invested or even just share the odd dalliance with animation take centre stage. As animation basks it’s much needed growth in the public eye, at the festival we see the likes of Wes Anderson, Terry Gilliam, Deborah and Zack Snyder, Andy Serkis and even Jean-Paul Gaultier taking up the headliner slots, which shows what a monumental shift both the festival and the world of animation has taken in recent years. It’s worth noting that 10-15 years ago Regina Pessoa, Henry Selick and Adam Elliot – who are all attending, would have been centre stage at the festival so for good or for ill it seems animation is changing and attracting more and more outsiders who have a foothold in different art forms to explore their craft in animation.

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As the making of sessions, workshops, pitches, meetings and markets jostle for attention in the overflowing programme it’s important to remember what is at the heart of the event – the films! With this in mind I’m going to try my best to work my way through the short film programme and give those who are missing out a chance to if you’re at the festival or not.

Short Films in Competition 1

The selection is off to a vibrant start with Marie Vieillevie’s debut short film Kaminhu (France). We feel like we’re falling into the sketchbook of Joanna, a globetrotter who who takes her sketchbook to the Cape Verde Islands where she meets the locals, including Lito, a young fisherman who welcomes her to a world of colour and vibrancy before reminding the traveller of the world of privilege she has come from.

Kaminhu

With echos of Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Tennis, Oranges (Sean Pecknold, United States) tells the tale of a wayward robot hoover and an elderly rabbit with a theatrical past. Buoyed by the music of Debussy this short shares a charming symbiotic relationship between the bunny and the appliance as each are able to live the life they wish through one another and manages to be charming, funny and emotional.

Tennis, Oranges

Kaweauso by Akihito Izuhara (Japan) is a slow paced, but engaging eulogy for the Japanese sea otter. Though not overtly laden with message, it soon becomes clear what the film is about and the foreboding atmosphere alongside the visuals build the tension and point the finger towards mankind.

Kawauso

Bringing some light relief to the programme is Free the Chickens (Matús Vizár, Slovakia Czech Republic) a comedy caper about a team of oddly matched activists and their attempt to save a collection of sorry looking chickens from a battery farm. As the heist unfolds we see the gang doing more harm than good with their efforts contradicting their values and beliefs. It’s the type of joke that seems a little old fashioned and perhaps even punching down, but the pacing and the storytelling seem to have earned it a place in the lineup.

Free the Chickens

The next film is rather reminiscent of the type of film you could have seen at Annecy at any point of it’s 60+ year history, which is no bad thing. Kind of like Moana Lisa Descending a Staircase (in search of sugar lumps), Horse Portrait (Witold Giersz, Poland) shares artistic interpretations of horses, shifting in design through a cavalcade of artistic interpretation as artists such as Da Vinci, Picasso, Rubens and many others all get the equine treatment in this brief film that trots it’s way onto the programming lineup. Though beautifully rendered and animated the skilled work is slightly marred by the constant appearance of signatures throughout.

Horse Portrait

Closing the first competition strand is La Voix des Sirènes by Gianluigi Toccafondo (France, Italy) which takes the audiences on a metamorphic slither under the sea to meet a myriad of aquatic monsters, among them a mermaid and her brood. The mesmeric technique and colourful blend of paint and film, draw the characters beutifully into being and onto the fullness of the screen.

La Voix

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