Film review: 'Pippi Longstocking'
Directed by Clive Smith, a co-founder of Nelvana Ltd., the underdog animated feature "Pippi Longstocking" is aimed at young children and might make for a peppy video release. A Canadian-Swedish-German-English co-production, "Pippi" has five agreeable songs and plenty of upbeat attitude, but the Legacy Releasing offering is headed for a quick exit in theaters.
A veteran of numerous animated television specials and series ("Family Dog", "A Wookie's Christmas", "Rupert and Beetlejuice"), Smith and his team worked with original Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in fashioning this breezy tale of a seafaring lass with boundless energy and optimism who comes ashore for a round of adventures.
While the lead character seems to come from the 19th century, the primary setting of the story is modern-day. There's almost no contemporary humor and only a few mildly scary moments. Overall, the project hits all the same marks as a Disney extravaganza -- from big production numbers to a domineering villainess -- but the animation is cruder-looking and less-involving.
When her sailing-ship captain father (voice by Gordon Pinsent) is swept overboard in a storm, he floats away but tells young salt Pippi (Melissa Altro) not to worry and to meet him at a place called Villa Villekulla. With her lazy Horse and pet monkey Mr. Nilsson, Pippi moves into the big house alone and quickly makes new friends and a few enemies.
With mismatched stockings and eccentricities, 9-year-old Pippi is superstrong and rarely not smiling and enjoying life. She can cook and get out of any kind of trouble. But even Pippi cannot overcome so-so syncing of characters to the dialogue and singing, little shading and often uninspired backgrounds.
Canadians abound in the cast of voice actors. Singer-dancer Melissa Altro as the irrepressible Pippi has the ringing clarity of a super-confident female Huck Finn. She should garner some new young fans.
Catherine O'Hara is suitably crabby as the town busybody who becomes Pippi's biggest nemesis. Dave Thomas (ABC's "Grace Under Fire") likewise does yeoman service as a thief who covets the chest of gold coins Pippi has in her possession. Musician-songwriter Carole Pope chips in as the teacher who's upstaged by Pippi's education-spoofing "Pluttifikation Song".
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Legacy Releasing
A co-production of AB Svensk Filmindustri, IdunaFilm, Trickompany and Nelvana
Director Clive Smith
Producers Waldemar Bergendahl,
Hasmi Giakoumis, Merle-Anne Ridley,
Michael Schaack
Executive producers Lennart Wiklund,
Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, Clive Smith
Screenwriter Catharina Stackelberg
Based on the books by Astrid Lindgren
Art directors Clive Powsey, Christoph Hahm
Animation directors Robin Budd, Bill Giggie,
Ute V. Munchow-Puhl
Music Anders Berglund
Songs Anders Berglund, Great Big Music, Thinkmusic
Color/stereo
Voices: Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Carole Pope, Dave Thomas, Gordon Pinsent
Running time -- 75 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
A veteran of numerous animated television specials and series ("Family Dog", "A Wookie's Christmas", "Rupert and Beetlejuice"), Smith and his team worked with original Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in fashioning this breezy tale of a seafaring lass with boundless energy and optimism who comes ashore for a round of adventures.
While the lead character seems to come from the 19th century, the primary setting of the story is modern-day. There's almost no contemporary humor and only a few mildly scary moments. Overall, the project hits all the same marks as a Disney extravaganza -- from big production numbers to a domineering villainess -- but the animation is cruder-looking and less-involving.
When her sailing-ship captain father (voice by Gordon Pinsent) is swept overboard in a storm, he floats away but tells young salt Pippi (Melissa Altro) not to worry and to meet him at a place called Villa Villekulla. With her lazy Horse and pet monkey Mr. Nilsson, Pippi moves into the big house alone and quickly makes new friends and a few enemies.
With mismatched stockings and eccentricities, 9-year-old Pippi is superstrong and rarely not smiling and enjoying life. She can cook and get out of any kind of trouble. But even Pippi cannot overcome so-so syncing of characters to the dialogue and singing, little shading and often uninspired backgrounds.
Canadians abound in the cast of voice actors. Singer-dancer Melissa Altro as the irrepressible Pippi has the ringing clarity of a super-confident female Huck Finn. She should garner some new young fans.
Catherine O'Hara is suitably crabby as the town busybody who becomes Pippi's biggest nemesis. Dave Thomas (ABC's "Grace Under Fire") likewise does yeoman service as a thief who covets the chest of gold coins Pippi has in her possession. Musician-songwriter Carole Pope chips in as the teacher who's upstaged by Pippi's education-spoofing "Pluttifikation Song".
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Legacy Releasing
A co-production of AB Svensk Filmindustri, IdunaFilm, Trickompany and Nelvana
Director Clive Smith
Producers Waldemar Bergendahl,
Hasmi Giakoumis, Merle-Anne Ridley,
Michael Schaack
Executive producers Lennart Wiklund,
Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, Clive Smith
Screenwriter Catharina Stackelberg
Based on the books by Astrid Lindgren
Art directors Clive Powsey, Christoph Hahm
Animation directors Robin Budd, Bill Giggie,
Ute V. Munchow-Puhl
Music Anders Berglund
Songs Anders Berglund, Great Big Music, Thinkmusic
Color/stereo
Voices: Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Carole Pope, Dave Thomas, Gordon Pinsent
Running time -- 75 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 8/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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