I picked this out for myself to watch, thinking it would be too "artsy" for my four year old, but she was immediately captivated and plunked down on my lap to watch the whole thing. I was quite surprised at this since she is usually a fan of the Disney princess-genre, ha ha. It is a visually striking art film, and some of the stories have a couple of scary moments or themes for a little one, but we appreciated the simple stories that were told in a unique style of animation. The shadow-box-puppet style with only eyes highlighted on the characters actually fit the fairy-tale type tales very suitably, with a moral to the story, or a twist at the end, so don't expect Shakespeare level - it really is intended for children. We will likely watch this again and again.
11 Reviews
6 tales of not just Arabian nights
siderite9 June 2021
This is perfect for whoever wants to learn French. It's enunciated clearly and slowly, just like DuoLingo stories. The animation is silhouette style, like shadow play, but carefully done. The stories remind me of 1001 tales of Arabian nights, which were the entertainment of my childhood nights, so maybe I was seduced by the nostalgia, but I liked the show.
There is something that I disliked. The stories start from a point where three characters create worlds and stories using a computer and robot tailors and then they act out their fantasies. But I had no idea who these people were. It feels like you are dropped in the middle of something that you should have been aware of, but you're not. A fun premise to be sure, especially since it can entice a child to build their own stories or at least participate in something like that.
Also, I watched this on Netflix and for the life of me I don't understand why they would show it as a movie and not as a series. It is clearly composed of six independent stories, which would have been helpful to know before I started watching it.
Therefore my conclusion is that it is good to watch with your child, especially if you want to teach them the language, and I hope this review helps you to know that it's a collection of six separate stories and one doesn't have to spend an hour and a half to get to the end.
There is something that I disliked. The stories start from a point where three characters create worlds and stories using a computer and robot tailors and then they act out their fantasies. But I had no idea who these people were. It feels like you are dropped in the middle of something that you should have been aware of, but you're not. A fun premise to be sure, especially since it can entice a child to build their own stories or at least participate in something like that.
Also, I watched this on Netflix and for the life of me I don't understand why they would show it as a movie and not as a series. It is clearly composed of six independent stories, which would have been helpful to know before I started watching it.
Therefore my conclusion is that it is good to watch with your child, especially if you want to teach them the language, and I hope this review helps you to know that it's a collection of six separate stories and one doesn't have to spend an hour and a half to get to the end.
Some Good Some Bad
SnoopyStyle17 September 2013
Tales of the Night is a 2011 French computer silhouette animation feature film directed by Michel Ocelot. I didn't see it in its 3D theatrical release... so no comment on that. A girl, a boy and an old cinema technician create stories using a machine. They then perform each story. The six stories are all clunky dialog clunky world culture tales.
I likes some of the stories more than others. But for better or worst, they have the feeling of unsophisticated old fairy tales. The gimmick of the old cinema machine to lead into each story just isn't worth the time. And I have to say it diminishes the stories if they just make it up. It'd be better if they made it as some kind of cultural discovery like the Grimm brothers. The style of animation also don't give the facial expressions needed for emotional depths. But it gets some cool points and fits the simplistic stories.
I likes some of the stories more than others. But for better or worst, they have the feeling of unsophisticated old fairy tales. The gimmick of the old cinema machine to lead into each story just isn't worth the time. And I have to say it diminishes the stories if they just make it up. It'd be better if they made it as some kind of cultural discovery like the Grimm brothers. The style of animation also don't give the facial expressions needed for emotional depths. But it gets some cool points and fits the simplistic stories.
Excetional animated fantasy.
Mozjoukine18 December 2011
Ocelot's toons have always had the unfamiliar (African) imagery working for them. Their naive plot lines have been both an attraction and a limitation.
This episode film, framed with sessions in the re-voicing studio - where an owl is perched on the desk - are not a step towards more traditional work.
The recognisable Ocelot style is here mixed with a bit of Lotte Reiniger and boosted by a fascinating use of Three D, which spaces the arms and eyes of the outline crowd at different distances from the viewer, among other effects. Was it ever shown anywhere else but the Paris Champs Elysses that way? Whether the makers can take this style further and how it will go down with the tot audiences, I've seen cheer the Kirikou films, has yet to be seen.
This episode film, framed with sessions in the re-voicing studio - where an owl is perched on the desk - are not a step towards more traditional work.
The recognisable Ocelot style is here mixed with a bit of Lotte Reiniger and boosted by a fascinating use of Three D, which spaces the arms and eyes of the outline crowd at different distances from the viewer, among other effects. Was it ever shown anywhere else but the Paris Champs Elysses that way? Whether the makers can take this style further and how it will go down with the tot audiences, I've seen cheer the Kirikou films, has yet to be seen.
Good fairy tales, but not the best I encountered
bbickley13-921-5866429 July 2014
I did love the animation that the movie was doing. You don't see this style done a lot in this age. I feel it's good to have these choices as animation is an art form and there should be a variety of it other than just the mainstream 3D stuff every animated movie is doing now.
thought the animation lends to the fairy tales that make up the movie (it was almost like opening up a book than watching a movie) the fairy tales themselves were just OK. It may have been the English translation as the movie is originally in french, but I felt the movie was lacking what you would expect in the art of telling fairy tales. like a voice over narration that explains what the characters are going was absent. That may have given the stories just a little more dramatic poise
I did like the concept that connected the stories together about an old man who was told he's too old to make movies and two kids who were told they are too young, team up to make movies in an old run down cinema. Interesting enough, their story was told with a voice over narration.
Overall, I like the movie a lot it was beautiful to see.
thought the animation lends to the fairy tales that make up the movie (it was almost like opening up a book than watching a movie) the fairy tales themselves were just OK. It may have been the English translation as the movie is originally in french, but I felt the movie was lacking what you would expect in the art of telling fairy tales. like a voice over narration that explains what the characters are going was absent. That may have given the stories just a little more dramatic poise
I did like the concept that connected the stories together about an old man who was told he's too old to make movies and two kids who were told they are too young, team up to make movies in an old run down cinema. Interesting enough, their story was told with a voice over narration.
Overall, I like the movie a lot it was beautiful to see.
A beautiful story for beautiful people of any age.
carliejostaples26 March 2012
To any one reading "I wonder what kids will think of this. Because they might be the main target audience for this." and wondering the same. I can say that in the showing I saw there were a lot of kids and many French kids. No one was talking, everyone in the room was taken in and concentrating - no one left for the toilet - the only time there was any movement or sound was when the kids (and adults) were laughing with joy - especially at the "tom-tom magie". Each story contained morels and some potentiality tough subject matter for children, but in a well balanced way. I saw a subtitled version - that was not 3D. A beautiful story for beautiful people of any age.
Fairy tales done very well using an old style and modern techniques.
suite927 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The film breaks into six separate adventures.
Night of the Werewolf. Being a prince and a werewolf in the 15th century. Happy ending on this one; murderous deceit receives justice instead of monetary reward.
Jon Jon and Beauty Not Knowing. On a Caribbean island, Jon Jon explores a deep cave which is the country of the dead. The only other living being is the princess whose name is Beauty Not Knowing. Jon Jon befriends the 3 monsters he was warned to kill. The father of the princess sets him three tasks. The 3 monsters help him through the final tests. Jon Jon goes back to his girl friend in the land of the living.
The City of Gold. The Boy saves The Girl from being a human sacrifice, but at a cost.
Tom-Tom Boy. Set in a village in the African bush. Everyone in the village tells Tom-Tom Boy to learn something useful, and to get lost in the meantime. He saves an old man's life out in the wild. This man is the custodian of the magic tom-tom, 'whose rhythms no one can resist.' He plays for the custodian, who teaches him to do more with it.
The Boy Who Never Lied. Set in Tibet. Two king each wager half their kingdoms on whether or not the Boy can be made to lie. The princess volunteers to help her father get the Boy to lie. The Boy's horse speaks; the princess' mare can sing. The lying princess acts sick, and claims that she must eat the heart of his talking horse. The horse, Melonge, gives up his life so that his heart can be claimed. The Boy serves up the heart, but the princess leaves with the heart untouched. Ah, sadness. But the Boy and his king are rewarded, and the princess admits the vileness of what she has done.
The Young Doe and the Architect's Son. Zachariac, the sorcerer, has a young ward, Maud, who falls in love with the architect's son, Thibault. Thibault climbs Zachariac's dread tower to rescue Maud. He encourages her to agree to marry Zachariac, with the understanding that Thibault will interrupt the process before it is complete. Thibault and Maud escape via a secret trapdoor in the cathedral. Zachariac renounces Maud, and changes her into a doe who only runs from Thibault. Thibault and his father's friend find the palace of a fairy ally of the architect. Can the complete the resolution?
-----Scores-------
Art/Animation: 10/10 Though only in one style, wonderful throughout.
Sound: 10/10 No problems. Liked the incidental music.
Acting: 10/10 Beautifully voiced.
Screenplay: 10/10 Difficult and wonderful.
Night of the Werewolf. Being a prince and a werewolf in the 15th century. Happy ending on this one; murderous deceit receives justice instead of monetary reward.
Jon Jon and Beauty Not Knowing. On a Caribbean island, Jon Jon explores a deep cave which is the country of the dead. The only other living being is the princess whose name is Beauty Not Knowing. Jon Jon befriends the 3 monsters he was warned to kill. The father of the princess sets him three tasks. The 3 monsters help him through the final tests. Jon Jon goes back to his girl friend in the land of the living.
The City of Gold. The Boy saves The Girl from being a human sacrifice, but at a cost.
Tom-Tom Boy. Set in a village in the African bush. Everyone in the village tells Tom-Tom Boy to learn something useful, and to get lost in the meantime. He saves an old man's life out in the wild. This man is the custodian of the magic tom-tom, 'whose rhythms no one can resist.' He plays for the custodian, who teaches him to do more with it.
The Boy Who Never Lied. Set in Tibet. Two king each wager half their kingdoms on whether or not the Boy can be made to lie. The princess volunteers to help her father get the Boy to lie. The Boy's horse speaks; the princess' mare can sing. The lying princess acts sick, and claims that she must eat the heart of his talking horse. The horse, Melonge, gives up his life so that his heart can be claimed. The Boy serves up the heart, but the princess leaves with the heart untouched. Ah, sadness. But the Boy and his king are rewarded, and the princess admits the vileness of what she has done.
The Young Doe and the Architect's Son. Zachariac, the sorcerer, has a young ward, Maud, who falls in love with the architect's son, Thibault. Thibault climbs Zachariac's dread tower to rescue Maud. He encourages her to agree to marry Zachariac, with the understanding that Thibault will interrupt the process before it is complete. Thibault and Maud escape via a secret trapdoor in the cathedral. Zachariac renounces Maud, and changes her into a doe who only runs from Thibault. Thibault and his father's friend find the palace of a fairy ally of the architect. Can the complete the resolution?
-----Scores-------
Art/Animation: 10/10 Though only in one style, wonderful throughout.
Sound: 10/10 No problems. Liked the incidental music.
Acting: 10/10 Beautifully voiced.
Screenplay: 10/10 Difficult and wonderful.
Beautifully simple
TheLittleSongbird24 November 2013
If someone were to ask if I recommended Tales of the Night, the answer would be yes. It is a very simple film and doesn't break new ground from a thematic perspective. That doesn't matter because so much of the movie is beautifully done. The animation makes for a visual treat, not just the shadowy silhouettes for the character designs and the drama being conveyed but also the backgrounds with the gloriously vivid colours. The music doesn't overbear what's happening in the six featured stories, as well as being sensitive, lushly orchestrated and lyrical it allows the stories to speak for themselves. And speak for themselves they do, the moralising, positive messaging and lessons do not preach and are ones that anybody young and old can relate fully to as well as being important values. There is an Aesop's Fables feel at times especially in The Werewolf, not that that it is an issue, far from it. And the stories do have great atmosphere while never trying to be too complicated, The Boy Who Never Lied and Boy Tam-Tam are somewhat graphic yet magical. Personal favourite has to go to The Doe Girl and the Architect's Son, which contains the best animation of the film and is quite poignant. The characters don't break new ground either but they have a real charm to them and carry their stories very well. In fact, if there was anything that wasn't quite right it was the old-theatre-and-re-enacting links, not a bad idea but at times clumsily handled. Other than that, Tales of the Night is a very good film indeed. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Boring and a little sexist
zetes17 February 2014
From the director of Kirikou and the Sorceress, this animated film, done in a CGI shadow puppet style, is about a brother and sister who, along with an elderly man they know, concoct movie scenarios. Six different fairy tale scenarios are illustrated. I've never actually seen any of the Kirikou films, but I've heard good things. This film doesn't inspire me to check anything else by Ocelot out. The visuals are quite gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but the screen writing is flat, boring and downright regressive. Five of the six stories have the boy as the hero saving the girl, who is a damsel in distress. The sixth one isn't particularly progressive, either. The version I watched on Netflix was dubbed in English by a group of British actors who are particularly boring. Skip it.
Read, Storyboard, 3-D Print, Animate, Repeat
BabelAlexandria12 April 2021
Nice framing story of an old man and two younger aspiring directors who get together in an abandoned Parisian cinema to brainstorm and create. Interestingly, the creative process is not entirely clear: Are the two children acting? Providing a model for the old man to animate? Regardless, the six stories all transpire in "exotic" locales (including medieval Europe), which appealed a lot to my kids. We've now watched it twice, and they loved it both times. The silhouette animation, with its rich colors, is beautiful and surprisingly complex. Sienna's favorite story was the Aztec-inspired City of Gold and its snake protector/attacker, Sebastian's was the Tibetan story of the talking horse and the boy who never lied, and mine was the wizard and the architect's son.
Flat
kosmasp9 November 2011
I seriously have no idea why this was "made" 3-D. There was not real depth behind it (and I'm not even talking that much about character depth, though it is missing a bit too). While your imagination may be having a real hoot with this, your senses may tell you otherwise.
The story as it is, isn't that inventive either. It is nice and you can follow it pretty easy, but there is nothing special about the stories (3-D and animation aside that is, though as said, especially the former isn't really working on any level, no pun intended). I wonder what kids will think of this. Because they might be the main target audience for this. But I couldn't tell if this works for them ...
The story as it is, isn't that inventive either. It is nice and you can follow it pretty easy, but there is nothing special about the stories (3-D and animation aside that is, though as said, especially the former isn't really working on any level, no pun intended). I wonder what kids will think of this. Because they might be the main target audience for this. But I couldn't tell if this works for them ...
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