296. The Giant Pear; movie review

THE GIANT PEAR
Cert U
78 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very mild threat, language

"Do you think young children will really enjoy this?" , inquired Mrs W.
"It's a young elephant, kitten, crazy professor and giant pear! What's not to like?", I replied.
Ok, this really isn't Mrs W's bag but I reckon that the under-sevens will go for Amalie Næsby Fick, Jørgen Lerda and Philip Einstein Lipski's lighthearted tale, based on a famous Danish book.
It surrounds the aforementioned pachyderm and feline who are distraught when the beloved mayor of Sunnytown goes missing.
Just as all seems lost, the cat fishes up a bottle containing a message from the mayor saying he is trapped on a mysterious island.
The bottle also contains a seed which the cat plants and a beanstalk-sized pear appears.
Indeed, the pear is so huge that the elephant, cat and professor take to the seas to attempt to find the island and rescue their friend.
Along the way, they have to fend off 'pernicious' pirates, a dragon and a gaggle of ghosts.
Of course, none of the above are very scary and even the frightened young elephant can find his courage for this adventure.
Indeed, he demonstrates to youngsters that bravery combined with brains can win the day.
The Giant Pear will not match The Incredibles 2 in the summer popularity chart but is certainly worth a trip to the cinema when the school holiday entertainment for the under sevens runs dry.
Its plot may not be overly testing but it is fast-moving.
I would be interested to know if it elicits any giggles among its audiences. It didn't from me but I am a tad too old.

Reasons to watch: An elephant, a cat, a crazy professor and a mysterious island!
Reasons to avoid: If you haven't got kids or are not a kid at heart

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Director quote - Philip Einstein Lipski: ""It’s a classic found on most kids’ bookshelves in Denmark. We wanted the story to be every bit as sprightly and anarchic as the book."

The big question - Would a giant pear float?

Share this post