Directed By Toby Genkel and Florian Westermann

Starring – Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis

The Plot – Maurice (Laurie) is a streetwise ginger cat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of talking rats. When Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm named Malicia (Clarke) and their little con soon goes down the drain.

Rated PG for action/peril and some rude material

The Amazing Maurice | Official Trailer | Sky Cinema – YouTube

POSITIVES

It isn’t everyday when I come across an animation studio that I’ve never even heard of, and then get blown away by their blossoming product, but that’s exactly what happened with Studio Rakete, from Hamburg, and “The Amazing Maurice”, respectively. While the film obviously isn’t on the level of thoroughness in expansive detail as a major studio like Pixar or Dreamworks, I can confidently and enthusiastically state that I’m more than impressed by the rich tapestries of landscapes, as well as the realistic illustrations in textures that are all luminated by the kind of bulging, bubbly splashes of color that makes this a visual treat to continuously endure for 90 breathtaking minutes. This more than justifies the film’s big screen release or desire to see it on such, but beyond that serves as the film’s biggest alluring factor in hooking its audience to the engagement, in turn outlining these three-dimensional characters and structures that are so vividly articulated that it feels like we can practically touch them. But an animated film is truly only as good as its story, and thankfully in such the duo of screenwriters in Terry Rossio and Robert Chandler not only seamlessly adapt the personality and structure of the ages old children’s novel, but also instill with it several integral aspects that keep it from the all style and no substance manner of animated filmmaking. For starters, the supporting characters are surprisingly fleshed out as much, if not more, than the titular protagonist, outlining each of them with a distinct personality and physical gifts that makes them feel unique to their collective dynamics. On top of this, Rossio and Chandler imbed a barrage of clever red herrings in both thematic directions and visual cues that throw in a few endearing twists to the expectations of family cinema, and in the case of the movie’s pungent personality, helps supplant a cunning intelligence to balance matters, granting us an experience that is every bit smart as it funny. Plenty of the praise for these effectively registered targets also go to the extensive ensemble, which between them conjure many chameleonesque performances, but particularly in the case of Laurie and Clarke, who are each audibly indistinguishible in their respective tones and deliveries. Laurie is obviously the showstealer here as the titular Maurice, bringing along the kind of caustic wit and dry deliveries that made him a household name as House M.D, and with Clarke’s exubberant exhillarance commanding the drive and determining factor of the conflict, gives them ample opportunity to bounce off of one another with self-humiliating candidness. There’s also a surprise behind every one of Maurice’s cohorting rat pack, but I truly feel they should be left to interpretation and the big reveal in the post-movie credits, as they will truly amaze and impress you.

NEGATIVES

As previously conveyed, “The Amazing Maurice” does consistently exceed expectations, but ultimately there are a few hindering hairballs that halt its spot among many of the contemporary classics. The first is an underwhelming opening act that not only makes the film difficult to initially invest in, but also leaves the conflict taking a bit longer than necessary to materialize into motion. There is this awkward abruptness to the opening moments that fall a little flat on the introductory statement to these characters and their respective world, but beyond that it’s during these moments when the aforementioned humor feels most strained and forceful, getting matters off to an arduous inception, which isn’t the most beneficial in terms of building momentum. In addition to this, a clumsy and ultimately unnecessary framing device overtakes much of the focus of the occasionally trivial storytelling along the way, leading to everything from confusion to convolution in a film that requires simplicity to shine. This is in the clutches of a storybook called “Mr Bunnsy’s Has an Adventure”, a fictional novel introduced within the film that intentionally is meant to spoof Peter Rabbit, but instead self-destructed its own creative prominence with frequent outbursts of annoyance throughout its duration. Clarke strangely serves as the storyteller for such, blurring the lines of fantasy and reality accordingly, and as to where Mr Bunnsy’s story echoes the beats of Maurice and friends long distance journey, it only further echoes instances and feelings of scenes we literally just experienced twenty seconds prior, making it feel like a meandering spoon-fed mimic meant to reiterate on what the production feels like their youthful audience is incapable of accurately interpreting on their own.

OVERALL
“The Amazing Maurice” is a colorfully plush, hilariously wacky feline of a film with enough claws into its literary origins to give us, above all else, an authentic adaptation. Though its nine lives are used to delicately overcome some of the burdens in a flimsy framing device and weak introductory motions, the combination of lucidly dreamlike animation and disappearing performances from a decorated ensemble keep it persistently pawsitive, giving us the year’s first must-see kids film.

My Grade: 7/10 or B