Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageA Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (2010)
Director: Ben Stassen
Synopsis
A young turtle learns about life's ups and downs in this animated family adventure.
Movie review
From Time Out London
Film dubbing is a lost art. Many of us look back fondly to the time when every kung-fu movie, Italian horror flick and foreign film outside of the arthouses was voiced by a parade of gruff, bored-sounding Californian ‘voice artists’. But those days are gone: even trash is subtitled now. Which makes the likes of ‘A Turtle’s Tale’ something of a throwback: an animated film made in Belgium but re-voiced for the British market, this drab, predictable family adventure is enlivened no end by the hilariously inappropriate voice cast the producers have roped in.It starts with John Hurt in full fireside-chat mode as the voice of Sammy, a kindly, ageing sea turtle looking back over a life spent roaming the oceans of the world: cue flashback, as Sammy is born, makes friends, falls in love and is adopted by a VW-driving Californian hippy who talks like a member of the ‘EastEnders’ cast. Yes, wherever Sammy goes, everyone he meets is English: sharks, seagulls, even an American cop. The result is like ‘Finding Nemo’ meets ‘Eurotrash’, only not quite as fun as that sounds.
Elsewhere, there’s little to recommend ‘A Turtle’s Tale’: the characters are thin, the dialogue is bland and the animation is plasticky, though the 3D effects are sometimes interesting in a lurid, sub-Pixar fashion. It’s all tied together with a blunt, patronising ecological message about protecting wildlife and respecting the oceans. Respecting the audience is lower on the agenda.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 2118: 24 - 30 March, 2011
User reviews of this film
-
- Cassie said...
- Posted on May 18 2012 17:54 Loved this film! The rating given is totally incorrect. My daughter absolutely loved it and the music kept us bouncing the whole time. Even my 6 month old crawling on the floor couldn't take his eyes off the TV. ^_^
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Shara said...
- Posted on May 18 2012 00:22 True, lots of elements are copied, but those aspects work and make kids and me happy, so who cares? It's looks beautiful. It's got great music (that I still can't the soundtrack to). Good story, one I don't mind watching a few times with my two year old. Happy kid. Happy mom.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Chris said...
- Posted on May 12 2012 15:12 has anyone found the list of music from the movie or a soundtrack available?
- Report as inappropriate
-
- mrsschill said...
- Posted on Mar 10 2012 15:12 This is a great film. My entire family loves it and my children watch it over and over. I think it is well made and the music is really good. In fact my children have asked me to get a soundtrack to listen to in the car. Highly recommend this film.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Jennifer said...
- Posted on Feb 13 2012 20:30 My daughter loves this movie and I agree, it was educational and fun.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- F.L. said...
- Posted on Apr 13 2011 07:43 Avoid. This film is a waste of your and your kids' time. Everything is ripped off from more popular and better-made films. Every second one can almost hear the producers thinking "ok, what could we now use that's been already used and proven to make money in the past 10 years?" Music, dialogue, "characters", it's frankly horrible. Feels like buying a fake guitar with battery-produced sounds for the price of a classical instrument.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Lisajs said...
-
Posted on Apr 05 2011 21:45
I don't agree with this review. I took my daughter to see this film in 3d today and I think it's the best fil
to come out since finding nemo! It was educational, informative and fun and the graphics were stunning! I loved the story and the insight in to a turtles life, I apprecieted how well they dealt with the sensitive issues and now my daughter is aware of things that happen in the world that she wasn't before! I think this film is 5 star and would happily pay to see it again I loved it I was hooked from start to finish. A big well done to the creators this film is fantastic xx - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Ben Stassen
Genre(s): Children's
Rated: U
Duration: 86 mins
UK Release: Mar 25 2011
Top Stories
Ridley Scott interview
Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback
Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report
Dave Calhoun reports on the hits, misses and a shocking new masterpiece from Michael Haneke
What do you think?
Post your review now