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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent animated African folk-tale, August 6, 2005
This review is from: Kirikou and the Sorceress (DVD)
This is a wonderful movie that follows the adventures of Kirikou, a precocious infant who saves his village, outwits his foes, and befriends all. Born into a village apparently cursed by the Sorceress Karaba, Kirikou sets out to undo her mischief and understand the reason for her evil. Like Kate Dicamillo's character Despereaux, Kirikou is a hero who belies his small stature, using it to his advantage with brash bravado. While many of the themes - overcoming obstacles, how propoganda can be used to oppress - are universal, there is a distinct flavor of African myth and folk-tale. That being said, I am not sure if this is an authentic folk-tale, or just a well-crafted imitation of one. Either way, it is delightful.
In terms of the animation, dialog, and music, everything is top-notch. There is a slight disparity between the english-language track and the english subtitles, though nothing distracting. One note on the animation: this film is authentic to its location in Africa. That is, young children are drawn nude, and women topless. Thus, this is an authentic depiction of people of a region - think National Geographic, if you have no other reference. Thus, if natural, non-titillating depictions of semi-nudity make you uneasy (particularly if watching with your children), then you might want to pre-view this one first. That being said, there is nothing sexy here - Sailor Moon is far more over the top.
In summary, I feel that this is an excellent film and highly recommend viewing it.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and delightful, this small folk tale is a treasure with important lessons for our time, December 15, 2006
This review is from: Kirikou and the Sorceress (DVD)
This is a wonderful film, that can be enjoyed equally by parents and children. Kirikou is a small and precocious boy who never lets prejudice get in the way of his fierce determination to protect his people from an evil sorceress. He is driven by curiosity and courage but also admits his own feelings of vulnerability; he is a wonderful example to children, a much more compelling hero than most of the whiny characters that dominate most Hollywood animation. Whether or not it is a traditional folktale, it captures the feel of many of the African folk legends I have heard, and depicts a vibrant culture that is both suffused with ordinary magic and yet deeply human. The animation of this humorous and touching film is both simple and delightful, a perfect match for the story.
What is perhaps most intriguing is that it is an example of the kind of story so prevalent among folk legends that show how traditional societies are aware of the dangers of fixed traditions and open to the possibility of new ideas. There is a longstanding prejudice within cultures based on change and "progress" that traditional cultures are backwards and unable to accommodate appropriate change -- in this story (and in fact in many traditional folk stories), this problem is faced and dealt with from an internal standpoint -- in other words, this story is about how change can be accommodated within traditional societies and how such change can be encouraged by traditional storytelling, and that such change does not require a rejection of tradition. Criticisms of dogmatism are embraced within this story, that depicts many of the tribal people as resisting inquiry and assuming they already know what is best even when their traditional methods of trying to defeat the enemy in battle are no longer working. The wise persons of this story are the young Kirikou -- too young to assume he already knows how things work and how to solve problems, and young enough to ask questions and be willing to learn from one who will actually answer his questions rather than merely brush them aside -- and his wise grandfather -- who, it is significant, has left the village to live by himself on the mountain. It is also significant that the young Kirikou's main quest is not to defeat the evil sorceress but to understand what has made her evil. It is only by understanding (and even empathizing with) the enemy that he can defeat her --an important lesson even for our own troubled times, full of ignorance and of the arrogance that assumes war (and the resistance of change even where the status quo is unsettling) is the only solution to incomprehensible threats. At its heart, this is a story about how the villagers learn to accept new wisdom, from the mouth of a child and of an elder who has gone beyond status-seeking pride.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful, Magical Film, July 2, 2005
This review is from: Kirikou and the Sorceress (DVD)
I just saw this movie and found the experience to be a breath of fresh air! The animation is gorgeous (the backgrounds reminded me of the Vienna Secession), the character designs are interesting, the content is strong, the music is excellent, and the movie manages to keep the feel of story-telling.
I highly recommend this film!!
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