138. Butterfly Tale; movie review

 

BUTTERFLY TALE

Cert U

88 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild threat, violence, language, rude humour, sex references

I feel slightly embarrassed that I have reached the age of 61 without knowing that butterflies migrate.

Indeed, I found the premise so unlikely that only a Google search persuaded me it was true.

The flight of one flutter of butterflies (yes, that is the collective noun!) is the backdrop of Sophie Roy's animated movie.

Its central figure is Patrick (voiced by Mena Massoud ), a teenage butterfly desperate to join his kin but can't fly.

Nevertheless, he and his caterpillar pal, Marty (Lucinda Davis), decide to stow away among the reserves of milkweed, which their friend Jenny (Tatiana Maslany) is carrying on the journey.

Unsurprisingly, their plan to go unnoticed fails immediately, and every attempt at redemption worsens the situation. 

Meanwhile, a trio of birds of prey are watching every move, hoping for an unscheduled snack.

Butterfly Tale is not just a colourful and fast-moving adventure, it's a story packed with moral messages, emphasising the importance of accepting those who look different physically or have a different outlook.

The characters are all well-meaning but too earnest, and Marty the caterpillar provides the only slice of comedy.

They are not enough to make it stick in the mind.

Reasons to watch: Moral messages

Reasons to avoid: Not very memorable

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Every autumn, millions of monarch butterflies migrate 3,000 miles from their breeding grounds in northeastern North America to spend the winter in the forests of southwestern Mexico. Each migration is by a new generation, so they cannot learn from others and must they rely on their genes.

The final word. Tatiana Maslany: "I was a kid who adored animation. I loved cartoons. I loved going to see the latest cartoon that was playing. I would become obsessed. I would watch the VHS (tapes) over and over. So to get to be part of a cartoon was so exciting." Earth Rangers

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