The Gruffalo stories are based off of Julia Donaldson's popular children's novels of the same name. The above is the trailer for the original animated film that aired on BBC 1.
In The Gruffalo's Child, the mouse has become a mythic creature, feared by the Gruffalo himself. When his adventurous daughter decided to pursue the mouse, who lives in the off-limits woods, the Gruffalo's child embarks on an adventure that introduces her to the fox, the snake, and the owl from the original film.
They, of course, are far from friendly to the young Gruffalo as she attempts to find the big, bad mouse of her father's stories. The film is narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, playing a mother squirrel sharing the story with her curious children.
There is nothing Pixar-y about this film; it's even saccharine sweet compared to many animated Disney offerings. It is very much built for an audience of kiddos, but that doesn't mean an adult can't or won't enjoy what they see on the screen. It's bright, well animated, and well -- it's freakin' cute. Nothing wrong with that.
The Gruffalo's Child was an entrant into the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's short film block, and it was a welcome addition to the already solid showings. If you have kids, they'll be totally stoked by what they see on screen. If you're a child at heart, it's a painless twenty five minute ride in a pleasant, colorful world.
