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Babar: The Movie (1989)

Director: Alan Bunce

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Initial delight that Laurent de Brunhoff's elegant, courtly and very European cartoons have been rescued from the elephants' graveyard soon turns to horror: this Americanises both characters and setting beyond recognition. The premise is a staple of successful kids' movies from Bambi to ET: separation from Mommy. Babar, boy king of the elephants, must help Celeste rescue mother from the evil rhinoceros Rataxas, picking up help on the way: Zephir the monkey and a vegetarian crocodile. Somehow the precocious pachyderm overcomes all odds, indulges in some Indiana Jones-style swashbuckling, and single-handedly defeats the rhino army before his decadent and bureaucratic generals can muster so much as one soldier. Hooray! The odd good wisecrack and a cracking pace help gloss over flat and unimaginative animation, and teeny tots will adore it.

Author: DW

Time Out Film Guide


User reviews of this film

  • auidnc said...
    Posted on Jul 02 2009 02:06 what? umimaginative? if your going to even critisize a childrens movie then do it nicely
    Report as inappropriate

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