Adapting a beloved children’s book is always a promising plan for an animated feature, but the real magic is in the execution. Embarking on its first such project, Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon studio (Wolfwalkers, The Secret of Kells) has delivered another critical hit with My Father’s Dragon, brought to the screen by Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey, who previously helmed the adult animated adaptation of Deborah Ellis’s novel The Breadwinner.
Following its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, reviews are starting to come in, and My Father’s Dragon is soaring with a prestigious 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film, inspired Ruth Stiles Gannett’s classic trilogy, centers on a boy named Elmer (voiced by Luca star Jacob Tremblay), struggling with big changes in his life, a young dragon named Boris (Gaten Matarazzo from Stranger Things) and the friendship that rescues them both. The pic is written by Meg LeFauve and produced by Cartoon Saloon and Mockingbird Pictures.
My Father’s Dragon premieres on Netflix streaming on November 11. Read more about the film in Animation Magazine‘s award season kick-off issue (Dec. ’22), available soon.
Here’s what a few of the critics had to say:
“The breezy rapport established in dialog between Tremblay and Matarazzo is as significant to the appeal as the cute character designs … The solid voice work and charming character concepts extend to the many animals — friends and foe — that they encounter, with echoes of imagery stretching from Miyazaki to Maurice Sendak … The [filmmakers’] deep fondness for the source material comes through, and the painterly hand-drawn aesthetic is enchanting.”
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“The overriding gentleness of My Father’s Dragon is a trademark virtue for Cartoon Saloon … [This film] dials back a little on [Wolfwalkers’] mythic complexity, but at no cost to their usual charm. Expressly targeting very young children, and mellow but never dull in its unhurried telling and picture-book aesthetic, it’s a pleasing corrective to the slick, high-concept freneticism of sundry Disneys and Pixars — even as it pinches screenwriter Meg LeFauve (Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur) from their ranks.”
— Guy Lodge, Variety
“The relationship between Elmer and Boris forms the emotional backbone of the film, as Elmer grapples with the prospect that dragons aren’t always exactly like the fire-breathers of the story books, and uses his wits to get them out of trouble … Like many a family story, the fantastical adventure features some characters that echo Elmer’s real life, and there are also parallels with anime films (there is a 1997 Japanese animation based on the same novel). But this Netflix release has its own distinctive style, and should entertain youngsters who, like Elmer, are both in search of adventure and trying to make sense of the adult world.”
— Anna Smith, Deadline
“My Father’s Dragon isn’t afraid to take on mature themes around responsibility and parent-child relationships. Thus, it has much to offer to adults watching it, even if it’s somewhat traditional otherwise. There’s a melancholy air to it as you get the sense that Elmer is a boy growing up too fast, despite his mother’s best efforts, and siblings Jeff and Mychael Danna’s score reinforces it … Twomey and LeFauve have created something special, and this friendly little dragon will surely delight children and adults for years to come.”
— Nicole Ackman, AwardsWatch
“Boris is the antithesis of Toothless. Like a hyperactive football sock come to life, or a onesie with wings, this dragon is afraid of fire, will make you giggle at his attempt to perform an armpit fart, and cracks a great joke during a scene with a tortoise shell. He’s emblematic of My Father’s Dragon as whole, in that he’s colorful and vibrant, but also unwieldly and a little formulaic … Even if the story isn’t up to [Cartoon Saloon’s] usual peerless standards, the world-building and imagination manifest of is sublime.”
— Matt Rogers, Flickering Myth
“My Father’s Dragon is arguably the simplest of Cartoon Saloon’s films so far, even if the stunning animation hints at their experience and craft. It’s a straightforward morality story that’s ideally designed and constructed for young viewers, lacking the more violent and tragic elements present in their other films. It’s not a detriment to the film by any stretch of the imagination, coming across as a moving storybook in the best way.”
— Brandon Zachary, CBR
