The story of the mysterious and terrifying Gruffalo comes framed as a fantasy story told from a mother squirrel (Helena Bonham Carter) to her little squirrel children (Sam Lewis & Phoebe Givron-Tayler). The two young squirrels sit and listen in awe as their mother tells them about the journey of a curious and adventurous mouse (James Corden). As the little mouse wanders the forest looking for a nut, he encounters a number of predators who would love to invite him in to become their next meal. The quick-thinking little guy manages to use his quick-wit to outsmart each of these predators and continues to make his way to the tasty nut. As the squirrel uses The Gruffalo as an excuse not to attend dinner, he finds that his imagination is not quite as imaginary as he had thought, and his journey becomes a lot more interesting.
Max Lang and Jakob Schuh’s The Gruffalo has some nostalgic value for me. I can remember sitting down on numerous occasions with my niece and watching the fantasy tale until much of it was ingrained in my brain. I can remember “There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo” being played over and over in my head, and, after some time, being annoyed at the fact that this child’s film managed to dig its way into my head and stay there. Regardless of how annoying this phrase became, the fact that my niece had such an obsession with The Gruffalo meant that I would not soon be able to avoid the twisted tale of imagination and horror.
Watching a film over and over again can cause a viewer to become numb to the content and the humor, making each viewing more and more difficult to appreciate. After not having seen The Gruffalo for nearly eight years now, I have found a new appreciation for what the cast and crew of the film is able to accomplish. The animation, flawless, the voice acting, brilliant and the story is one that most are able to identify with (and it allows children the opportunity to explore their imagination and understand that doing that is okay). James Corden’s bright and colorful performance as the protagonist (the mouse) brings to life the imagination present in all young children. He shows them how to let their minds run wild, and to appreciate the imaginary as much as reality. Lang, Schuh, Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson are able to reach each and every child through silly, but meaningful dialogue, teaching them a lesson every step of the way.
The fun (and nearly flawless) animation makes everything on screen pop and appeal to young audiences. The animation department at Magic Light Pictures succeeds in every way and excites these young audiences, entices them with adorable and memorable characters and keeps them engaged for nearly half an hour as the mouse makes his way through the somewhat terrifying forest. The Gruffalo, better than most animated films I have seen before, is appealing to children (as young as two years old). It is fast paced and full of energy, keeping those children interested and involved in the story of The Gruffalo from the film’s opening scene. Sure, this film appeals mostly to children, and, with the exception of a one or two moments, is not geared, in any way, toward adults. However, The Gruffalo holds a place in my heart and I found every corny joke, every rhyme and every underlying theme of innocence and imagination to be compelling. If you have children, I cannot guarantee that you will fall in love with the film as I have, but, I truly believe that your children will appreciate the colorful images and the fun, energetic story.
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