The Snail and the Whale
A 30-minute animated film for the whole family, based on the beloved book by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The Snail and the Whale is the cherished tale of a restless young snail who longs to travel around the world. The other snails urge her to stay put, but she posts a call seeking a lift around the world. Soon a great grey-blue humpback whale answers, and she sets off with him across the seas. Along their voyage they encounter towering icebergs, distant lands, fiery mountains and golden sands. The snail is delighted by the wondrous world around her, until she realises how small the world makes her feel.
Director(s)
Max Lang
Daniel Snaddon
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
Did you know that a group of snails is called a 'flock". Well it is in Julia Donaldson rhyming world and one of a group who live rather mundanely on an harbour rock dreams of going out to sea and exploring the world. Using it's very own snail-trail, it writes a message that attracts an enormous humpback whale who invites this tiny little gastropod to slide onto his tail and off they go. Luckily, he is quite adhesive so doesn't get washed off as his giant host takes him on an enjoyable trip for both us and the animators who get to present us with a submersible travelogue that shows the delights and dangers of the deep, has some fun with some hungry sharks and even manages to involve some human kids and some human kindness. This is a charmingly simple story that sort of encourages the grass is greener philosophy, but equally extols virtues of inter-reliance, friendship and courage. Maybe best not look at the whale snail scale too closely, but that's just a detail for this finely drawn film.
