Long Way North

Not every anime can meet the standards of Tokyo Godfathers or Grave of the Fireflies. But then, not every live-action movie can sand next to Casablanca or Alien. I really like this, almost as much as the 1% of the 1%, but only almost. But c'mon, 5 stars covers a much wider range than the ultimate to super-ultimate best. This is really good, in ways that I want to come back to.In part, it's a teen power fantasy. I'm not a teen, not by a fair few decades, but I can still respond to the deep emotional involvement and immediacy everything has when the building inspector hasn't signed off on a developing brain yet. It has girl power, and lord knows the media need to catch up to what girls in fact do. In this case, it's not just her native intelligence, struggling against its social constraints. We also see her growth as a physically powerful person, first struggling under a waitress' load, then wielding it with poise. And really, the nerd girl thing just has to appeal to anyone who appreciates intelligence.(There's a side trip here, about the inn owner who saw the map - I think there's an elbow in the ribs here about knowledge and intelligence vs social class. I consider myself elbowed, and very much not for the first time.)-- wiredweird

Fantastic movie

This is such a good movie, really good for being an animated movie. It kind of feels like a Miazaki (Studio Ghibli) movie, except of course it wasn't made by him or his studio, it's a French movie (with either the original French audio or English) but without all the weird (but totally cool) monsters and other strange beings Ghibli movies often have. The music is also great. The animation itself looks like old school type animation. The story is also great. I got sucked in not to long after it started. That's great storytelling in my opinion. Not going to post spoilers, so I will end this by saying, even though it is marketed as a children's movie, single, childless adults such as myself, will totally enjoy it anyway. At the low price Amazon has it (hell, even at $18 that Shout Factory has it for on their site) is way worth it. This would make a great live action movie, but that would probably be extremely hard to pull off, considering certain scenes, but with CGI now a days, who knows.

while its a pretty simple movie its got quite a strong story about a young girl never giving up despite the odds working against her not only that but the animation studio embraces the time period the film is set in styling everything in this cell shaded look but also adding a painting texture to everything (especially backgrounds and effects) the movie can be quite uplifting and inspirational for young viewers however that doesn't mean it shy's away from low sad points in the movie while some of these more subtle moments might fly over the heads of younger viewers adults will understand I certainly wouldn't recommend the film for very very young kids but for young teens,teens,or adults its quite good especially if like myself you appreciate ambitious animation styles and strong female leads

Amazing gem brought to life in English by Shout! Factory. I just wished I could hear original French audio because English dub was simply okay. But the visuals! Impactful visuals that male you not want to look away. A main heroine fighting for her family's honor reminds me of Disney's Mulan but with a Russian and French backstory. I loved the beginning which was chock-full of cultural references for all ages. Wonderful plot did not disappoint. Great movie for kids. Amazon please include Orignal French audio but amazing plot and visuals. Definitely worth a watch!~ ^~^

For an animated film, I was expecting more from the art. The film has a weird color pallete that doesn't really make any sense. Also in terms of detail... there isn't much. Some scenes there are just huge swathes of the screen that are one, uninterrupted color. I expected more from the animation. But otherwise the story was ok. The voice acting was good thankfully. I probably won't watch it a second time. It was ultimately a forgettable experience.

If you enjoy nautical adventure tales and powerfully beautiful animation, this is very much worth your time. The animation seems like it would be simple, but it is not. Details, including the play of light and clouds, are caught in stunning ways. The story is not as "fast-paced" as some might be used to. This has more a European cinema feel, but is positive and warm. Watch the final credits to see a bit more completion to the tale. It is a lovely film.

The art of this animated film adds so much to the story - casting emotions across colors and movement. The main character was likable and realistic; her drive to find the Davai (Russian for something like "Let's go!" if I remember correctly, nice touch) fit perfectly with the character and story. I thought it was great, and will be watching again soon.

Such a beautiful and touching story, animated so wonderfully. Well worth the money and the time. If you're a fan of animation, this DVD is good to have

Bought as part of Christmas. Alongside all the usual Pixar malarkey we try and get something "different", a different style of animation, a different animation studio, a different type of story. This looks to be really good and fit that bill...

Great film, lovely to watch in French with English subtitles, but has the option of English audio too,

Brilliant hand drawn animation just how I love it. So much better than the rubbish Hollywood produce. Great story.

Absolutely TOPsStory is sweet pictures are gorgeous a the colours fabulous.