Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998)
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Kirikou and the Sorceress Movie Review
Kirikou and the Sorceress is a 1998 animated fantasy film directed by Michel Ocelot. It is one of the most unique features in animation’s history.
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“Why are you so mean and evil?“
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Setting: West Africa. Time Period: Probably sometime long ago. The protagonist is a recently born Kirikou who is so feisty and clever that he becomes a savior for the entire village. The village is ruled by the evil sorceress Karaba who sends her robots to kidnap the men, and only the women are left. Eventually, the infant sets out on an adventure to stop the witch.
I hold this picture in high esteem for its strong authenticity. I have personally never seen an animated film set in Africa before, and this one deals with their original folk tales in such a wonderful, charming way. The film is very much a fantasy feature, but with strong comedic elements as well. The infant talking with dignity and so much confidence consistently made me chuckle, and that slightly comedic, jokey tone really suited this story.
Its heart lies in its simplicity. Yes, unlike so many animated features from the US at this period, this one doesn’t have hectic action nor does it feature so many characters, VFX and goofy humor. This film focuses on just a couple of most important characters, a very simple story and a very concise, short and sweet runtime. The end result is a flick that flies by how fun it is.
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That simple nature led to it feeling like a wonderful, classic fairy tale/fable of sorts, but the one with so much African legitimacy that it becomes something really special. The witch’s origin story is simple, but it works. The twist at the end with both her and the protagonist is excellent, and it made the film unexpected.
The highlight for me was the second act. The third is emotionally rewarding, the first is a beautiful, instantly intriguing set-up and the second is an adventure of the highest order. The underground tunnels provided some great obstacles with the various animals, and his breach into her fortress is action-packed in the best way possible – meticulously detailed and fun.
Let’s talk about the characters. Kirikou is one of the cutest animated protagonists ever created. Yes, he’s that adorable. His way of speaking is hilarious, his design is instantly memorable and he even flirted with the witch later on. That was very funny to witness. Speaking of the witch, Karaba is such an iconic, highly entertaining villain in the best, most classical sense possible – over-the-top and all-powerful. I loved her. I also really liked the other village people in their reduced roles, and of course the fetishes are excellent, and very imposing. The animals themselves are all very important for the story with that warthog being the most memorable.
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Kirikou and the Sorceress is also gorgeously animated. This is the type of animation that I personally love most. The colors are rich and diverse, the character designs are simple, but effective, and the entire setting is beautifully brought to life with vivid colors and some quite artistic imagery. I loved every single scene here with the village, the fortress and the tunnels all looking splendid.
The movie features African women as they were in the past – topless and not sexualized. To me, that is very realistic and admirable, though it obviously did not appeal to the Western censors. The entire movie brims with originality and validity, but it’s very entertaining and exuberant at the same time.
I also loved its musical score with that song repeated throughout being again very African in tone and feel. The pacing is excellent. The movie runs for just about 70 minutes, but it never at all felt rushed or abrupt in any way. It just felt right, and it still is an amazing film, so it should have set an example for other films in general, but unfortunately most did not follow it. I found the dialogue very humorous, and the tone shifts from light to sometimes quite dark impressively deftly. Overall, Kirikou is one of the shining examples of what French animation can offer to the world – quirky, authentic worlds brimming with life.
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Kirikou and the Sorceress offers the type of traditional animation that is all too rare today – it’s simple, but effective in character designs, and so vivid and colorful in its palette. The score is fantastic too. The dialogue is excellent as the protagonist’s very dignified way of speaking provides a lot of quirky humor to the film. He is one of the cutest animated characters ever. This is a classic movie that benefits from an authentic African setting beautifully explored, a high adventure second act, a fantastic fairy tale feel to it and a concise, brief runtime that flies by. It exemplifies everything that is original and inspired about French animation.
