Ferdinand is hilarious and enjoyable but probably won't moooooooooove you [Review]

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Ferdinand, the new computer-animated adaptation the classic children's book, has a message to just be-yourself

Nicola Chan |
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Ferdinand with his beloved Nina, the girl who adopts him after he escapes from the training camp.

Celebrating individual differences, friendship, and racial unity, Ferdinand is an adorable and hilarious animation about a giant bull that prefers flowers to bullfighting.

It follows the young and big-hearted bull who escapes from a training camp in rural Spain, after his father doesn’t return from a bullfight. The bull, Ferdinand (John Cena), is adopted by a girl and enjoys a blissful and peaceful life on a peaceful farm, that is, until he is captured for being mistaken as a fierce and dangerous beast .

Determined to break free and return to his home, he must rally with his goat and hedgehog friends to escape from the undefeated bullfighter El Primero.

Ferdinand has a action-packed plot that’s straight forward and easy to understand. Although isn’t an obvious climax, the film is full of ups and downs as the bull is hindered by all kinds of obstacles along his adventure.

With sharp and distinctive characters, the super-duper cute Ferdinand, farm buddies and even his enemies are all amusing in their own ways, whether it’s how they act, behave or speak. If you watch the English-dubbed version, you’ll find them speaking various European accents and languages that betray their origins, which make the animal characters even more diverse and Ferdinand all the more enjoyable and interesting.

The flower-obsessed bull will prove to you that it’s important to take your fate into your own hands, while treating everyone with kindness and empathy. It also serves as a reminder to reflect on the ethics of animal consumption.

Even though it’s not likely that the simple and funny Oscar-nominated animation will win over the aesthetically and emotionally pleasing Coco, or the visually spectacular Loving Vincent, the fun, light-hearted and relaxing Ferdinand would be a great choice if you’re looking for a film to enjoy with your family during the Lunar New Year.

Edited by Nicole Moraleda

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