Movie Review: Ferdinand

Movie Review: Ferdinand                                                                                                          12-17-17

Blue Sky Studios is actually a talented CGI studio that ranks among Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. Unfortunately, they have a bad reputation for the never-ending Ice Age sequels that Fox (who distributes their films) forces them to make. Their last film, Ice Age 5: Collision Course, became the second worst-reviewed animated film of 2016, only behind Norm of the North. Will Blue Sky's next film, Ferdinand, redeem the studio, or will it be another disappointment like Despicable Me 3? Let's find out.

Based on the book by Munro Leaf, Ferdinand is about a Spanish bull named Ferdinand (John Cena). Ferdinand isn't like other bulls, as he feels it's wrong to fight. After running away when he was a calf, he meets a young girl named Nina (Lily Day). He grows up with Nina, but one day after creating chaos in the local city, Ferdinand gets sent back to the same farm he grew up in. With the help of a calming goat named Lupe (Kate McKinnon) and three thieving hedgehogs, Ferdinand is determined to escape and return to Nina.

If any of you animation fans and experts like me know, Disney actually did an adaptation of 'The Story of Ferdinand' many years ago back in 1938. In the wake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Silly Symphonies, Disney made a seven minute cartoon based on Leaf's story called Ferdinand the Bull. It stuck very well to the original book while still retaining the Disney design that audiences already have been familiar with (through characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the Three Little Pigs), and would be expected to see for generations to come. Ferdinand the Bull even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Now, what did I think of Blue Sky's Ferdinand? I enjoyed it a lot, maybe even a tad more than Coco! Coming from Blue Sky, who animated animals perfectly with Rio, Horton Hears a Who, and of course, the Ice Age films, the animation is spot-on. The film also offers perhaps one of John Powell's best scores since How To Train Your Dragon.

The film also features its share of memorable characters. However, unlike Ice Age 5, which have pterosaur antagonists that wouldn't have changed the plot even if they were removed, the side characters in Ferdinand actually do have souls, and they do affect the plot in some way.

If I were to complain about one thing, I do wish that we saw more of the human girl Nina. I wanted her and Ferdinand to have a relationship similar to Hiccup and Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon.

In conclusion, Ferdinand is an excellent film to see this holiday season. If your kids are too young to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi or scared to see Coco, I strongly recommend Ferdinand. It will put a smile on your face.

Rating: Four stars out of five

PLUS five Moo-Moos (You have to see the movie for yourself to understand the joke yourself)