People and Thieves of Cardimum City Review: Still fun in Cardimum City

You should not disturb others. You must be fit and nice. You can watch this movie if you want.

animated movie

“People and Thieves in Cardimum City”

Premiere in cinemas on Sunday, December 25th

Norway. Everyone is allowed. Director: Rasmus Sivertsen

Voices: Lynn Schöber, Anders Basmo, Thorbjorn Haar, Axel Heene, Einar Tornquist, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Trond Espen Sim, Ine-Marie Wellman, Christian Schulmen, Odd-Magnus Williamson, Nadir Khademi

Before you think “Do we really need another version of Folk and Robbers in Cardamom City?” (As I thought when I first heard about this animated movie), it might be nice to know that it actually doesn’t Existing Several movie adaptations Thorbjorn Egneradventure before.

It only seems that way, because of them Countless stage settings and the original audio game Baby Time for Little Ones (1954) and the ever-present book (1955).

In fact, only one: the controversial and little-seen feature film from 1988, directed by Bent Eriksen. Controversial because the producers and Thorbjørn Egner had a falling out during production. It wasn’t seen much because it wasn’t released on DVD or shown on TV, which in turn is due to the fact that it was discussed.

This is one of Animation Qvisten (They took care ofAnimals at Hakkebakkeskogen» in 2016), in consultation with the author Grandsons, which is as official a version of the adventure as you can imagine. Then it goes without saying that it follows the original show very closely, not taking any chances.

Is it an advantage or a disadvantage? Should the opportunity be taken to update Aigner’s social democratic adventure in the 1950s for a new, more complex time?

There will be opinions about this. My personal opinion is that it would be a good idea to make a film adaptation of “Folk og røvere i Kardemomme” as written by Egner. Even if, with its kidnapped women, likable cops and lack of a community of color, it doesn’t exactly scream “2022.”

Young children don’t care whether the universe they enter is old or dusty. What matters is that they let themselves in, stay there and let themselves be enchanted by what they see. Then the adults can be mature enough to have a conversation with the kids afterwards. The person going around the world doesn’t always look the same.

Computer animation is similar Fresh We are used to from Qvisten, and the environment we are about to enter is as wonderful as always. The small town, with its oddly colored stone houses and its own tram line, looks less Norwegian than a Spanish mountain town surrounded by desert (Aigner is said to have been inspired by a study trip to Morocco in 1949).

The cactus, the camel and the lion bear further proof that we are not at Kampen in Oslo, where Aigner himself grew up. But then we kind of anyway. It is the fictionalized version of a small community in a country that must be rebuilt and shaped according to social democratic virtues after World War II:

It looked ugly, but fortunately there was a future after all. The least you can do is get up in the morning, brush your teeth, and do whatever you want.

In other words, the tone is educational: wash your face, boy! But also remarkably liberal. As you know, the city of Cardimum has its own excellent law, and a distinctly progressive view of rehabilitating criminals and other “outsiders”.

Citizens are also convinced that culture – music, parties, circuses – has as useful a social function as the policeman, the sausage maker, the tram conductor. Having fun and enjoying yourself is worthless. Everyone has their place in the mosaic, and it is better if the work is as good as the dance.

So what’s wrong with that? no thing. If you can’t be fancy when you’re five, when will you?

If I wanted anything, it would be that the hand-drawn sequences, which are based on Egner’s own approximate lines, have been given a little more space. Because they revive.

Norwegian sounds – with Lynn Scabber (Aunt Sophie), Anders Basmo (Police Chief Bastian), Thorbjorn Harr (Kasper) , Axel Heene (Jesper) and Jebby Beck Laursen (Jonathan) in the lead – excellent.

There isn’t much to complain about at all. That was nice.