Eight years after the superhero of “Phantom Boy”, Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli present us with a strange animal in “Nina and the Secret of the Hedgehog”. A new animated film which also marks Audrey Tautou’s return to cinema.
Recommended from 6 years old
Once upon a time – Nina likes to listen to the bedtime stories her father tells her, those of a hedgehog discovering the world. One evening, his father, preoccupied with his work, does not come to tell him about a new adventure… Fortunately, his best friend Mehdi is there to help him find a solution: what if the treasure hidden in the old factory could solve all their problems?
Then begins a great adventure where you have to escape the old neighbor and her cat Fluffy, foil the guard’s traps and trick his big dog… Not to mention the little hedgehog who leads the investigation alongside them!
What they will love – Animals from animated films are very often favored by children. Listing the most loved would be far too long, but the hedgehog in this feature film should undoubtedly join them. From his first appearance, taken from the sketch drawn by the heroine’s father, it doesn’t take long to fall under the spell of this character who recalls the Mickey Mouse of his beginnings.
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This is undoubtedly no coincidence, because directors Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli had already proven their cinephile with the superhero of Phantom Boy in 2015. Voiced by the late Guillaume Bats, who died on June 1, the hedgehog from their new opus will easily appeal to adults and children alike. Thanks in particular to the silent and black and white cartoons in which he seeks work.
Younger children will also love the coming-of-age story of the heroine, Nina, whose elements will speak to them differently depending on the age at which they see the film. But the treasure hunt she embarks on with her friend Mehdi, to save her parents’ financial situation, will take everyone along easily.
KMBO It’s a hedgehog that stings, stings…
What may worry them – Technically, nothing. Or a sweetly formidable dog who can impress the youngest. But Nina and the Secret of the Hedgehog is recommended for ages 6 and up and addresses themes related to the adult world. Like unemployment, strike or embezzlement. Subjects that some people may feel lost about. But do not panic.
Because the feature film will give parents a great opportunity to explain to them what it is about. More easily than with the television news for example. In the same way that Nina’s father talks about a hedgehog who looks for work in the stories he invents, which is anything but trivial. Stay tuned during the credits to find out the last word.
KMBO
Undercover mission for Nina and Mehdi
What they will keep deep inside them – The feeling of having experienced a thrilling adventure, straddling the wonder of childhood and the sometimes harsh reality of the adult world. The proof with this treasure hunt in an abandoned factory, where the danger is real but the two young heroes can count on the help of an imaginary hedgehog.
Like Nina’s father, voiced by Guillaume Canet, the film seizes reality to transform it through the power of imagination. Without being as naive as one might think. The result is nonetheless suitable for the whole family, and some may find it too childish. But many will perhaps recognize the voice of the heroine’s mother: that of Audrey Tautou, returning to the cinema for the first time since the release of On the Loose! in October 2018.
A comedy by Pierre Salvadori who reminds us a little of Nina and the Secret of the Hedgehog. Because the film reminds us a little of his Little Band, a live-action feature film which also confronted childhood and capitalism.