"The Story of Ferdinand" is arguably one of the most cherished children's classics of the 20th century. The seemingly simple story of a bull that rather sniff flowers than fight, captured the imagination of nearly everyone when it was first released in 1936. At the time it was both celebrated and reviled the world over for being (in order of increasing ridiculousness): non-conformist, pro-peace, pacifist, democratic, Pro-religious, anti-democratic, communist, homosexual, anti-religious, fascist, anarchistic, anti-Spanish and in Ernest Hemingway's case being anti-faithful? That of course is the beauty of fable - stories so simple that what you get out of them is more a reflection of who you are than what the story claims to represent.
Films however are different beasts. If they are to remain simple, the simple must come from the message not the plot, especially it seems when it comes to kid's movies. Thus Ferdinand, as directed by Blue Sky mainstay Carlos Saldanha, remains laser-focused on masculine identity and little else. Then to drag on the plot longer than the runtime of a Disney short, Ferdinand adds generational resentments, hastily thought-out prison break schemes, prancing horses, adorable talking hedgehogs, flower festivals, an extended car chase scene and I kid you not a bloody dance-off.
All these changes aren't exactly a bad thing; at least not on their own. Much of the film's hijinks serve to pace the film and provide enough entertainment for kiddos without it necessarily coming across as filler. The characters while arch and broad never cease to entertain either. John Cena as Ferdinand beings with him a generosity of spirit that cannot be overstated and Kate McKinnon knock's it out of the park as Ferdinand's hand-picked comfort goat Lupe.
It's just not Ferdinand; a fact that becomes apparent when he runs away as a calf in the first act and winds up on a farm tended by a benevolent farmer and his young daughter. It doesn't last and he's eventually sent back but now instead of pining for flowers that may never be, he's a bull who knows what lies beyond Casa del Toro and knows the grass indeed is greener on the other side. By this point the film becomes less of a fable and more of a specific sort of allegory - one in which he has to convince his peers that there's more to life than butting heads and being meat.
Two problems with this - One: it's easy to change minds when you're the biggest bull in the ring. Two: the social change allegory forces the movie to be less about Ferdinand wanting to be accepted and more about what Ferdinand can bring to the table to facilitate such change. The onus is now on him. This would be fine from a character development standpoint but since said character is never treated as anything more than a symbol, there's really no room for any sort of growth. It's also a moot point as the powers that be aren't going to administer social change because one bull refuses to fight.
So what was once a simple, heartfelt story told lovingly through countless generations has morphed into a so-so animated feature. Still, Ferdinand manages to inject a scintilla of the original warmth and gentleness from author Munro Leaf's original story; which will have to be enough since focusing on the films middling clutter is liable to leave you frustrated.
Films however are different beasts. If they are to remain simple, the simple must come from the message not the plot, especially it seems when it comes to kid's movies. Thus Ferdinand, as directed by Blue Sky mainstay Carlos Saldanha, remains laser-focused on masculine identity and little else. Then to drag on the plot longer than the runtime of a Disney short, Ferdinand adds generational resentments, hastily thought-out prison break schemes, prancing horses, adorable talking hedgehogs, flower festivals, an extended car chase scene and I kid you not a bloody dance-off.
All these changes aren't exactly a bad thing; at least not on their own. Much of the film's hijinks serve to pace the film and provide enough entertainment for kiddos without it necessarily coming across as filler. The characters while arch and broad never cease to entertain either. John Cena as Ferdinand beings with him a generosity of spirit that cannot be overstated and Kate McKinnon knock's it out of the park as Ferdinand's hand-picked comfort goat Lupe.
It's just not Ferdinand; a fact that becomes apparent when he runs away as a calf in the first act and winds up on a farm tended by a benevolent farmer and his young daughter. It doesn't last and he's eventually sent back but now instead of pining for flowers that may never be, he's a bull who knows what lies beyond Casa del Toro and knows the grass indeed is greener on the other side. By this point the film becomes less of a fable and more of a specific sort of allegory - one in which he has to convince his peers that there's more to life than butting heads and being meat.
Two problems with this - One: it's easy to change minds when you're the biggest bull in the ring. Two: the social change allegory forces the movie to be less about Ferdinand wanting to be accepted and more about what Ferdinand can bring to the table to facilitate such change. The onus is now on him. This would be fine from a character development standpoint but since said character is never treated as anything more than a symbol, there's really no room for any sort of growth. It's also a moot point as the powers that be aren't going to administer social change because one bull refuses to fight.
So what was once a simple, heartfelt story told lovingly through countless generations has morphed into a so-so animated feature. Still, Ferdinand manages to inject a scintilla of the original warmth and gentleness from author Munro Leaf's original story; which will have to be enough since focusing on the films middling clutter is liable to leave you frustrated.