Movie with Abe: Moomins on the Riviera (Capsule Review)

Moomins on the Riviera
Directed by Hanna Hemilä and Xavier Picard
Released December 4, 2015


Every year, the handful of films that qualify for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature include at least a few interesting foreign offerings. One such entry this year is this Finnish adaptation of a popular comic strip about world-traveling animals with kind hearts and big dreams. The Moomins, who look a lot like hippopotamuses, find unexpected adventure and excitement when they travel far from home and find a life of luxury based on the invented premise of their nobility roots. There is a certain simplicity to this film and its story that is contradicted by its more complex themes, as those with pure imaginations are confronted with inconceivable fleeting realities. This is a film that’s fine for all ages, and an alluring if somewhat odd diversion from typical films featuring solid animation.

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