Minuscule: Mandibles from Far Away is the second Minuscule feature. Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud have created a surprisingly heart-warming movie that doesn’t need to rely on dialogue to take the audience on a journey into a different world.
Minuscule follows the story of a young ladybug that is accidentally transported from his home in France to Guadeloupe, a tropical island on the other side of the globe. His dad sets off to bring him home with the help of a loveable cast of insects, including ants and spiders.
The animators beautifully integrated live action visuals and the animation of the insects. This film is absolutely gorgeous, from the snowy French landscapes to the tropical beaches of the Caribbean. While the human acting is decent, the animated characters really do shine in performance and charm.
I admire this film’s brilliantly executed simplicity and concept. Along with some real emotional moments, there are also plenty of impressive comedic moments, gags and well thought out humour that work so well with the artistic style of the bugs.
Minuscule is an absolute joy to watch. It’s at times a bit hard to follow, so I’d suggest to fully invest yourself and just enjoy the film and the visual feast that is.
Amelia (16)