The
BBC has a lot of credibility with American audiences for mysteries, literary costume
dramas, and Britcoms, but we really haven’t considered animation one of their
comparative advantages. Yet, they have amassed an impressive record of Oscar nominations
and festival play for their animated adaptations of the books of Julia Donaldson
(The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom). Now, two of the animators who collaborated on the Donaldson specials
have turned their talents towards an author with a much wider American
readership: Roald Dahl. Originally broadcast on consecutive nights, Jan Lacheur,
Jakob Schuh, and (co-director) Bin-Han To’s Revolting
Rhymes (trailer
here) has since been rolled into one, but it is
still short enough to be shortlisted for the best animated short film Academy
Award.
In
this fractured fairy story collection, the Big Bad Wolf will be the Hans Conriedian
teller of tales, as well as the ominous villain up to no good. He starts his
night by introducing himself to a kindly elderly woman enjoying a cup of coffee
before she babysits for Little Red Riding Hood. As you might expect, there is
some bad blood between her and the Wolf. However, for her to truly understand
what actually happened, the Wolf must also tell the intertwined stories of Snow
White and the Three Little Pigs.
In
part two, the Wolf’s schemes successfully earn him entry into Red’s flat, but
to buy time, her two children convince him to tell them a story, sort of
employing the Scheherazade strategy. In this case, it is the stories of Beanstalk
Jack and Cinderella that were in fact interrelated.
The
Donaldson films were cute and sweet, but Revolting
Rhymes are really funny, very much in the tradition of Fractured Fairy Tales. It should definitely appeal to fans of Shrek, but it is not as desperate to
prove its hipness. While nowhere near the level of Studio Ghibli lushness, the
animation is pleasingly colorful, lively, and faithful to the spirit of Quentin
Blake’s illustrations.
The
Revolting Rhymes bind-up also boasts
an absolutely marvelous voiceover performance from Dominic West. It is safe to
say his rich, commanding voice makes the Wolf quite a charismatic predator. Rob
Brydon returns to voice assorted goofy characters, while Gemma Chan and Rose
Leslie bring out the personalities of besties Snow White and Red.
There
is no question RR is the best BBC animated
special to make it into Oscar contention. It is consistently witty, not
infrequently morbid (mostly in a kid friendly way), but always tied to tradition,
just as you would expect from Dahl. Very highly recommended, Revolting Rhymes is on the Oscar
shortlist and available on DVD.
