The Little Prince (Mark Osborne, 2015): France

Reviewed by Adam Holm, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2016, Arlington Theater.

The opening film of this years Santa Barbara film festival “The Little Prince” was definitely one of the best films at the whole festival. It was not only one of the best films at the festival in my opinion but also the best Animated Film i have ever seen. This animated film had a deeper message and impact on me, than most normal feature films. “The Little Prince” is Originally from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book but i still haven’t heard about the film or the book, before i entered the opening of the film festival.

The film starts out with a beautiful minimalistic drawing-stop motion animation montage of the little prince which is a presentation of him as a character, before we move on to the real animation film about the little girl which is the main character. Narratively we are told a story in a story – The real animated film is about a little girl, played by Mackenzie Foy, who lives with her single mother who pressure her to get as much out her life as possible. The mother wants her daughter to get in the a school, which is why she pushes the little girl every day. The little girls everyday life seems boring and the same, until she meets their neighbor, The Aviator, who is everything else than boring. He is the complete opposite than everything the little girl knows of, and therefor they become friends. When the girl starts visiting the Aviator once a week, he tells her story about the “Little Prince”. And there it goes.

When it comes to the visual part of “The Little Prince” it was definitely the best i saw on the whole festival. The music from Hans Zimmer was absolut magnificent, the stopmotion animation was fantastic and not to mention the acting from Paul Rudd, Jeff Bridges, James Franco and so on. Also the whole animation in the actual film was amazing, which is one of the reason why the film is really worth seeing. It’s hard to make a reference to this particular film because it’s so much more than an animation film.

I would recommend everybody i know to go and watch this film, because it really is a special experience you get from this animated film.

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You’re currently reading “The Little Prince (Mark Osborne, 2015): France,” an entry on Student Film Reviews

Published:: 02.22.16 / 11pm

Category:: Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2016

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Film Review Club: Reviews of current film releases, streaming films, and revivals by student members of the SBCC Film Review Club.

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Film Festival Course: FS108: Film Festival Studies: Santa Barbara International Film Festival and AFI Fest: Hollywood (2 or 1.5 units). Field course at film festivals to study U.S. and international fiction, experimental and documentary films.

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larry 03.08.16 / 12pm

The Little Prince is by far one of the best animation films I have viewed. I understand why the SB Film Festival chose it as the opening film. The story line is a true depiction of some parents today, as far as pushing(explaining) why attending school is so important. There might be films that have better animation but The Little Prince has a story that is told in a certain way that is a heart warming story for children and adults alike. I suggest do not miss it if you get a chance!

Nathon Banales 03.10.16 / 10pm

I do not normally watch animated films, but after reading this review I was inclined to search the trailer on YouTube. After watching the film’s trailer, I am now anxious to watch it! First off, the animation instantly caught my eye. The animation looks truly fantastic. Also, the film is filled with tons of wonderful actors and actresses. I can’t wait to watch it soon!

summer spencer 03.11.16 / 10am

After reading this review I am very intrigued to see this film. I have always had an interest in animated films, and having you review this one has caught my attention. For this particular story line, I feel that it can be very relatable. Although it is an animated film, it seems as though a variety of ages would enjoy watching it. I really like how you introduced the story of the film in this review. Your description of the story line does not give too much information, but informs the reader of what to expect when watching it. All in all, this was a great review of the film. Thank you!

Christine Winterhalter 03.11.16 / 9pm

I am extremely persuaded to watch this movie because of the appreciation I have for animated film. I like how the author emphasizes the impact that the film had on him, because of the message of the movie. Some of the most impactful films, are a lot of the time, animated.Also, I am extremely aware of the soundtrack in films that I watch, which the author mentioned was very good. The choice of characters also is very compelling in my opinion. The older man in cahoots with a younger, naive child proves to make a very special story.

daniel tieman 03.11.16 / 9pm

My favorite movies of all time are animated. There is something about that nostalgic feeling of childhood you get when watching an animated movie. Movies that have a deeper meaning, are animated, and are still good are hard to come by. I have a great desire to go see this film after reading the review. I am actually surprised I have not yet seen this film because of my deep appreciation and love for animated films.I really appreciate the affect the soundtrack has on the film because good music can change a movie and only for the better.

Emerson Sekban 03.11.16 / 10pm

The Little Prince is a fantastic film, I loved the animation aspect of it. I would have to totally agree why SB film festival used it as their opening film. The film has a great story and moral, it is a very warming film to watch. The other reason I like this film is because my friends sometimes tease me that I look like the little prince.

AnnieRNeuner 03.12.16 / 10am

Growing up in Germany, I am very familiar with the story of “The Little Prince”, as it is both a popular children’s book and a required reading for french class at my former school. It is a story that I have very fond memories of and loved as a kid, so I am happy to hear how much you liked the film! I can imagine how it could be difficult to find a way to visualize this book while also pleasing the thousands of people who spend their childhoods imagining the characters and such. It sounds like they used a variety of techniques to convey the magic of this story!

Elisa Magni 05.18.16 / 4pm

I saw for the first time this movie a month before the opening night at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Even if I already watched this movie, I decided to attend the opening SBIFF night because I consider The Little Prince my favorite animated movie of 2015. I believe that the production had the great ability to find perfect actors’ voices for the characters, which gave to the movie a stronger impact on the audience and made the story emotional and credible. Besides, the mixture between stop motion and animation is smooth, and it is a great technique to convey a story within a story. Another characteristic that I loved about this movie is that it is not just a story, it is much more. In fact, the narration is not just pure entertainment but it makes emerge many important life lessons and messages, that are pertinent not only to children but also to adults. In this case, animation makes no distinction between the kids and adults audiences, but it merges them entertaining the little ones and lecturing the grown-ups.

Lili Talkin 09.21.16 / 11pm

I totally agree with what your thoughts on The Little Prince. I watched this film for the first time with my 5 year old sister who chose it on Netflix. I was extremely impressed with the visuals in The Little Prince, it was such a joy just to look at. I felt so emotionally attached to all the characters and the whole premise of the film. The story was amazing and it ended up making me feel incredibly emotional. The relationship between the girl and her mother felt so real. This film is definitely not just an animated children’s movie, it conveyed such a powerful message. I think it is great how my 19 year old self and my 5 year old sister were both able to get something out of this film. The Little Prince conveys so many important lessons about life and really makes you think. I thought it had a satisfying ending and overall I really enjoyed the movie.

Victoria Graevenitz 10.06.16 / 4pm

I agree that watching this movie is a special experience. The little prince is special to me as it was my favorite book when I was a child. I first watched the movie for about 20 min and stopped because I did not like it and felt that the movie version was too different from the book from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A month later or so, I decided to give it another try and watch it entirely. It did not disappointed me. I actually felt that there was still an important message present in the movie. I agree that the movie has a great story and moral.

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