Movie Info
Movie Name: Nocturna
Studio: Filmax Animation
Genre(s): Animated/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Family
Release Date(s): October 11, 2007
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Fear the darkness!
An orphan named Tim suffers from fear of the dark and finds himself ridiculed by the other children. When watching the stars, Tim sees that the stars seem to be disappearing. Tim encounters a creature called the Cat Shepherd and learns that the Cat Shepherd is just one of the inhabitants of the nighttime world of Nocturna. Nocturna is dying along with the stars, and Tim must stop the darkness from taking over Nocturna before it is too late.
Directed by Adrià García and Victor Maldonado, Nocturna is an animated fantasy. The film is a French and Spanish production.
I found Nocturna accidentally. I was looking on the animated shelves at the library and saw that the movie had a unique looking style of animation and picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised by the film which turned out to be different and fun.
He’s dead, Tim
The story for Nocturna is a bit odd like the entire film itself. The movie is a combination of Little Nemo in Dreamland and something like a Roald Dahl story. The movie is a bit scary at points, but nothing too scary for children (I always loved to be a little scared as a kid…something Dahl was great at). It is a story about overcoming those fears.
Everyone had fears and fear of the dark is a common childhood fear so many can associate with the storyline. What makes the film odd is that the path the story takes and Nocturna itself. The world is strange and with strange inhabitants. Things like the Cat Shepherd, the Stars, and my favorite Mr. Pee who is responsible when kids wet the bed at night (by whispering in their ears).
Psssst
The animation for Nocturna is unique as well. It is quite stylized but I love traditional animation and the animation for the film is quite strong. It has a bit of what I’d picture Big Hero 6 to look like if Big Hero 6 wasn’t computer animated. The characters are big and lumpy, but also soft at the same time. The movie makes Nocturna a place you’d like to visit even if it is a bit scary.
Nocturna was oddly under-seen. I can’t imagine why this movie isn’t more popular because it not only is clever animation but it carries themes that are popular in movies like Pixar and Disney films. You should seek out Nocturna if you are looking for something different that you might have missed. It is worth the trip into the dark.
