Room on the Broom (2012)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Really Surprised!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

This Oscar nominated animated short is based on the children's book by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Its a slight tale of a witch and a cat on an adventure that attracts other animals to the annoyance of the moggy to join them on the broom hence the title, Room on the broom.The animation short is brought from the same team that did The Gruffalo and they managed to get a starry cast of vocalists from Simon Pegg, Gillian Anderson, Rob Brydon, Sally Hawkins, David Walliam and Timothy Spall.The story is likely to be enjoyed by smaller children than families unlike the Aardman animated short. I actually felt listless watching this having realised that I was not the target audience but the kids liked it.

'ROOM ON THE BROOM': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Yet another of this year's Oscar nominees for Best Animated Short Film is this British cartoon that debuted on 'BBC One' at the end of 2012 (and in America the following October, as a Halloween special on 'PBS Kids Sprout'). It's based on the kids' book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The film tells the story of a witch and a cat on an adventure that attracts the attention of multiple other animals (that want to join them on their broom ride). It features the voice talents of Simon Pegg, Gillian Anderson, Rob Brydon, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins, Martin Clunes and David Walliams. It was directed by Jan Lachauer and Max Lang and written by Lang and Donaldson. Lang and Donaldson also collaborated on the Oscar nominated 'THE GRUFFALO' (from 2009). I'd rate this short about the same as it (and it's sequel two years later). It's probably pretty amusing for young children but lacks any substance or clever humor (for adults). I'm also not a big fan of the animation in these movies.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAefz9rzS5w

Sometimes it's hard to go back and watch something through the 'eyes of a child'. If you are over 15 years of age, this animated, short movie may not hold your attention at all and that's fine. Its aiming audience are children and I believe they'll think it's perfect. The story is not complicated - anyone can understand it and the main idea in it is friendship. There are repetitive dialogues with few alterations and everything is rhymed. The main characters are a witch and a cat... At least at the beginning. (: For those of you who don't know, the movie is based on a book. I will end this review by recommending it to all, no matter how big or small and whoosh! I am gone. (:

As always, Christmas was an interesting time of year for TV programmes and films as there are always some treasures and some disappointments. While I did like but was disappointed in The Snowman and the Snowdog of the animated short films(especially as I adore the original so much) I got so much pleasure from Room on the Broom as I did with The Gruffalo and its sequel from previous years. There is very little to criticise actually here, but while the dragon is very charismatic- some may say too much so- I did feel that he wasn't quite scary enough considering the type of character he is. Timothy Spall does voice him very well though, even if it is somewhat different to the roles I associate him with.The animation on the other hand is just wonderful. Detailed and vibrantly coloured, I loved the balance between hand-drawn and computer-generated animation, meaning that anybody who is fond of either style(admittedly I am more a hand-drawn person myself) will find Room on the Broom a treat. It is not just the quality of it that impresses, it is also to do with how much it does in defining the characters and story which I found incredibly compelling to watch. Thankfully the story and characters are done very well indeed on their own. The story is very charming and heart-warming with some touching moments, true it is simple but considering the target audience and the book itself, of which Room on the Broom is remarkably faithful to this was appropriate. Despite the short running time, Room on the Broom never felt rushed.As for the characters, they are engaging and likable. Again, like the story they are simple but all the better for it. The witch was especially true to this, and all the critters are very cute without being overly-so. The dialogue has similar rhyming rhythms, in how poetic, gentle and bouncing-like they are, to those of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child. They are also written respecting those of the book and written in a way that doesn't make them childish to an adult yet also easy for the children to understand. The voice acting is excellent. Simon Pegg of course stands out in restrained but dynamic mode as the narrator though he also has freedom to have some droll moments as well. Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson, David Walliams, Sally Hawkins and Martin Clunes voice their characters wonderfully.I will say thought that Timothy Spall is not quite as good, and this has nothing to do with his voicing actually at all, he does give his all to make the most of it, but more that his character doesn't quite off as well as the rest. In conclusion, I loved it and found it hard to deny its charm. And I imagine that child, adult or family will feel the same. 9/10 Bethany Cox