Ferdinand

Ferdinand was one of the nominees for Best Animated Feature at the last Oscars, and it goes to show that five nominees is too many. When there are about 15-20 movies to pick from, and five nominees, that's too small a sample to draw from. Ferdinand isn't terrible (The Boss Baby was worse), but it is merely an acceptable, routine children's entertainment that does nothing to advance the art.

There's an interesting history, though. The film is based on an old children's book that was made into a short film by Disney back in 1938. This film was made by 20th Century Fox, so there must have been a sale or trade (remember that Al Michaels was traded for Oswald the Rabbit).

In any event, the story is the same. A bull named Ferdinand, bred to fight in the ring, would rather spend his days sniffing flowers. He's teased by the other bulls, and escapes the ranch, and is found by a kind young girl who treats him like a pet, even when he is full size. But a misadventure involving a bee sting gets him sent back to the ranch, where he is chosen to fight.

The film's message is a familiar one--be yourself, no matter what others might say--but I wish it had taken a harder line on the barbaric "sport" of bullfighting. There are implications that bulls should not wish to be chosen for the ring--Ferdinand's father gets chosen but doesn't come back, and he finds a trophy room full of bull's horns--but the film could have gone farther.

The voice cast is fine, especially Kate McKinnon as a goat. I'm starting to think she's worth watching, or hearing, in anything.