Five cartoons to watch with the family during the Christmas holidays

♦ Ernest and Celestine. Journey to Charabie***

By Jean-Christophe Roger and Julien Chheng

French cartoon, 1 hour 19, from 5 years

“It’s like that and only like that!” In Charabie, Ernest the Bear’s hometown, we don’t discuss much about the brothers of the judge who rule the country. Forced to return there, Ernest and his mouse friend Célestine oppose a dictatorship where music is strictly regulated. Allowed to play only one and the same note, drunkards get drunk on orchestral improvisations in secret bars.

An opportunity for filmmakers to offer beautiful, funny and iconic visual finds. It is brought to life with a vibrancy and sensibility that makes watercolors come alive even more beautifully.

» READ THE STORY AND REVIEW: “Ernest and Celestine”, a trip to the land of animation

♦Inu-Oh***

By Masaaki Yuasa

Japanese cartoon, 1 hour 38

From the whimsical mind of Japanese filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa, an operatic and political tale about the friendship between a deformed singer and a blind musician monk in medieval Japan, Inu-Oh is an incredible cartoon that combines rock and rock sarugaku (Ancestor of the Notheatre). A virtuoso exercise in style in the spirit of the great mangaka Taiyo Matsumoto, but also a political fable about those left out of history, part of a long Japanese literary and graphic tradition.

A poetic chronicle of tribal struggle in the twelfth with dancing and singing on stage^e In the century to control the Empire of the Rising Sun, the artist gradually moves away from the curse: his deformities slowly disappear through the magic of catharsis. But the singer soon encounters the power of the Shogun, who wants to rewrite history. The power and illusions of art.

READ THE REVIEW: Inu-Oh, a medieval rock opera about the power of art

♦ Operation Santa Claus***

By Marc Robinet and Caroline Attia

Program of French short cartoons, 43 min, from 3 years

A spoiled child in a big house dreams of spending Christmas with his two rich but absent parents. William’s unreasonable demand for Christmas and his father’s weakness lead to global disaster. Here is a capricious little boy who goes into surgery to correct his own stupidity, accompanied by his neighbor little Alice and guided by the cheerful elf Gerard Patrick Sophie (GPS). Will they be able to save Santa from his clutches? “the world’s greatest wild cat hunter” ?

This adventure is served by an artistic team that offers a cut-scene graphic universe, rich in colors and materials, whose beauty reaches its peak at the end. Perfect for letting two kids with no shortage of character express their wonderful range of emotions! A funny and poetic story that has all the ingredients to create stars in the eyes of young and old alike.

But before that you have to visit first The land of the Aurora Borealis, a short film that preceded it and starred a young Colin. Orphaned, he goes to his grandfather and slowly learns the secrets of the Far North. This short film about man and nature is richly reflected in the vastness of ice deserts, in the middle of wild nature. A very sweet beginning tale that puts you in a very good mood before you meet William and Alice.

♦ Puss in Boots 2. The Last Quest**

American cartoon, 1 hour 42, from 6 years

We last parted ways with Puss in Boots in 2011. He rode in the hot desert sun, looking for new adventures and adorable Kitty Paws made of velvet. Although more than ten years have passed, the hero has not changed. Here he is being pursued by the most terrifying enemy he has ever faced. There is only one way to escape this mysterious white monster: find the wishing star that will grant the wish of those who find it. But the treasure intrigues many people, starting with Goldilocks and her mafia bear family and the creepy Jack Horner who climbs the beanstalk.

Accompanied by his ex-fiancée and a chihuahua (who takes a lot from Shrek’s ass), here, serving up visuals with a more stylized paw than the first opus, and graphics that change from scene to scene, our Cat embarks on an epic journey. A nice display of animation, however, gives the film a sometimes confusing composite aspect. References abound, with special mention for the big bad coming in a borrowed car. crazyand a nod to Sergio Leone.

The result is a lively story with a slightly darker theme than before, punctuated by the flamenco steps of the little cat in the hat. With Andalusian accents, this western should please the whole family.

♦ Avatar. Waterway *

by James Cameron

American film, 3 hours 12, from 12 years

Thirteen years after the victoryAvatar, the sequel to James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster, is now in theaters eagerly awaited by millions of fans and moviegoers alike. A phenomenon that combines steamroller marketing, state-of-the-art special effects, family appreciation and advocacy for nature. If the movie experience is anything to go by, no doubt three more films are planned in the future to put a little more effort into writing a script that looks very much like a pacifist western.

READ REVIEWS: “Avatar. The Way of Water”, James Cameron’s great eco-humanist bath