Voices of Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, and Wayne Robson
Directed by Michael Schaack and Clive A. Smith
Music and Lyrics by various
Swedish author Astrid Lindgren wrote the Pippi Longstocking books in 1945, based after tales she told her daughter about a lively little girl when she was ill. They made their North American debut in 1950. The stories of the rambunctious little girl who takes care of herself, her pets, and her two best friends in a rambling old house and wards off burglars and snooty old ladies have been beloved by children for seven decades. This is the first animated version of the books and Nelvana's first venture on the big screen since their Babar: The Movie flopped in 1989. How well does it capture the whimsical spirit of the novels? Let's begin at sea, with Pippi (Altro) and her father Ephraim (Gordon Pinset) at sea and find out...
The Story: Pippi returns to land with her monkey Mr. Nielssen and her horse after her father is washed overboard. They settle in at the rambling old Villa Villekulla across the street from Tommy (Noah Reid) and Annika (Olivia Garratt) Settegren and their parents. They're delighted by Pippi's freewheeling antics and her ability to pick up anything, but their neighbors aren't as pleased. Their teacher (Carole Pope) and mother Ingrid (Karen Bernstein) wish Pippi would learn proper manners, and social worker Mrs. Prysselius (O'Hara) is determined to send Pippi to a children's home. Two bumbling thieves (Thomas and Robson) are equally determined to steal the chest of gold Pippi keeps at her home. Pippi has a grand time outwitting them all, and proving that she can take care of not only herself, but her friends as well.
The Animation: Pretty much on par with what Nelvana was doing in its TV shows by 1997. The backdrops are colorful but static; the characters move well enough and have appropriately cartoony designs, but they all have two expressions with little variation. It's good enough to get the job done with a simple and action-packed story.
The Song and Dance: Given neither Warners nor Nelvana have the best reputation with releasing animated films, this is much better than I thought it would be. O'Hara, Thomas, and Robson do especially well as the stuffy social worker who is absolutely convinced Pippi needs supervision, and the bumbling thieves who are terrified of whomever "Mr. Nilssen" is. Some of the songs are catchy too, and unlike some other adaptions, it does more-or-less stick to the first book.
Favorite Number: We open with Pippi and the crew of her father's ship wondering "What Shall I Do Today?" as she proceeds to show them just what a nine-year-old can do at sea. Pippi introduces the townsfolk to her unusual friends as they travel to Villa Villekula with "Hey Ho, I'm Pippi." She teaches Annika and Tommy about her "Recipe for Life" as she makes pancakes for them and shows off all the treasures she and her father picked up on their sea voyages. The thieves Bloom (Robson) and Thunder-Karrisson (Thomas) hope to get "A Bowler and a New Gold Tooth" if they can get that chest from Pippi.
What I Don't Like: The story comes more-or-less from the book, but the characters are too over-the-top. Mrs. Prysselius was well-meaning in the book and live-action films, but not a villain, and the cops and thieves were still comic but played with some menace, rather than flat-out bumbling idiots. Pippi's bad behavior can be less charming and more plain annoying, especially at school and the tea party. No wonder Ingrid doesn't want her around Tommy and Annika. And speaking of the other kids, they're so dull as the "normal" children caught up in Pippi's lunacy, they pretty much fade into the woodwork.
The Big Finale: Nifty introduction to Pippi and her world for younger children who won't mind her noisy antics and will enjoy the music and action sequences.
Home Media: Out of print and expensive on DVD. Your best bet is streaming. It can currently be found for free with ads on Pluto TV.
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