Year: 2017
Directors: Carlos Saldanha
Starring: John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Day, David Tennant, and Jerrod Carmichael
Tagline: Built to fight. Born to love.
Synopsis: Ferdinand the bull just wants to enjoy the flowers, but the world sees him as a fighter.
Tagline: Built to fight. Born to love.
Synopsis: Ferdinand the bull just wants to enjoy the flowers, but the world sees him as a fighter.
Review
I've always sort of known the character of Ferdinand the bull. I probably saw the Disney animated short as a kid. But all I remembered through the years was the image of a bull, sitting under a tree and smelling the wildflowers. I didn't know how well the short story would transition to feature length. The answer is: tolerably well.
Ferdinand is one of those likable animated movies that entertains you in the moment but is largely forgotten soon thereafter. It didn't feel long, but there were certainly scenes thrown in to expand the run time and to appeal to the kiddos. But overall the story is straightforward and true to the source material. It's enjoyable.
Ferdinand himself, voiced by wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, is the best part of the film. He's a great character and Cena really brings him to life. He's charming, lovable, and funny. Ferdinand carries the weight of the movie and keeps it on track.
As for the rest of the characters, well, they seemed like the stock characters you get in most kid's movies. Lupe the goat actually got on my nerves pretty quickly. The only unexpected character was Angus, a Scottish hairy coo who can't see well because his hair is in his eyes. (I suppose I liked him simply because he's a Scottish hairy coo.)
Ferdinand is sweet and funny, but sometimes it tries too hard in the latter category. The horses (with stereotypical German male model accents) were unnecessary and there only for added humor. Ditto for the random "dance off" between the horses and the bulls. Mildly amusing, but mostly filler.
The biggest problem with Ferdinand is that all the best parts of the movie were in the trailers. There were very few surprises and even fewer additional jokes. If you've seen the trailers, you've basically seen the movie.
That said, Ferdinand was enjoyable enough and kids will like it. The message of being true to yourself comes out without feeling forced. If the kids need a movie and they've already seen Coco, by all means, see Ferdinand.
*** Spoiler Section ***
I'm not sure it's much of a spoiler, since the scene is hinted at in the trailer, but the scene in the arena with El Primero is pretty good. Ferdinand is poked and prodded to fight but ultimately refuses, choosing instead to sit down and face the matador's sword. That scene was well done and hit the right emotional notes.
Ferdinand is one of those likable animated movies that entertains you in the moment but is largely forgotten soon thereafter. It didn't feel long, but there were certainly scenes thrown in to expand the run time and to appeal to the kiddos. But overall the story is straightforward and true to the source material. It's enjoyable.
Ferdinand himself, voiced by wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, is the best part of the film. He's a great character and Cena really brings him to life. He's charming, lovable, and funny. Ferdinand carries the weight of the movie and keeps it on track.
As for the rest of the characters, well, they seemed like the stock characters you get in most kid's movies. Lupe the goat actually got on my nerves pretty quickly. The only unexpected character was Angus, a Scottish hairy coo who can't see well because his hair is in his eyes. (I suppose I liked him simply because he's a Scottish hairy coo.)
Ferdinand is sweet and funny, but sometimes it tries too hard in the latter category. The horses (with stereotypical German male model accents) were unnecessary and there only for added humor. Ditto for the random "dance off" between the horses and the bulls. Mildly amusing, but mostly filler.
The biggest problem with Ferdinand is that all the best parts of the movie were in the trailers. There were very few surprises and even fewer additional jokes. If you've seen the trailers, you've basically seen the movie.
That said, Ferdinand was enjoyable enough and kids will like it. The message of being true to yourself comes out without feeling forced. If the kids need a movie and they've already seen Coco, by all means, see Ferdinand.
*** Spoiler Section ***
I'm not sure it's much of a spoiler, since the scene is hinted at in the trailer, but the scene in the arena with El Primero is pretty good. Ferdinand is poked and prodded to fight but ultimately refuses, choosing instead to sit down and face the matador's sword. That scene was well done and hit the right emotional notes.
Quotable Quotes
- "If this rock moves before I count to three ... [a bird swoops in and takes the rock] What could you possibly need that for?!" -- Ferdinand
- "Your turn!" -- Ferdinand to the other bulls about resuscitating the rabbit
- "Face on fire!" -- Ferdinand
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