Undemanding, entertaining, laugh-a-minute stuff. Go see!

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2002)

I love those nature programmes that take you to the depths of the ocean and show you a myriad life-forms that bear little resemblance either to one another or to anything familiar. Apparently the folk at Pixar do too. But a clever computer-graphical interpretation of Mother Nature's sweet little imagination wouldn't make for much of an entertaining time. Fortunately this film also has wit, slapstick, pathos and adventure in just the right proportions. I laughed, I cried, I was amused by the homage to Ray Harryhausen and the nods to Star Wars, James Bond, Mission Impossible, Toy Story, The Wrong Trousers, Reservoir Dogs (yes really!) not to mention the many more that I probably missed by blinking or not paying attention (Fargo, apparently, for example). Overall, a romping hoot from start to finish, not in the least let down by the straightforward see-it-a-mile-off plot. If only humans could act that well. 9/10.
P.S. Why was The Abominable Snowman using a crate of lingonberries (tautologically labelled "Swedish lingonberries") as a seat? A seemingly pointless choice, albeit an amusing one. Is there an influential Swede working at Pixar? Hmmm...