Animation Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Animation

Young person in a grassy field with a large black animal.
Review

The Jungle Book

by Adam Woodward

Jon Favreau brings Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale crashing into the 21st century. The result is astonishing.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Stylised illustration of a person sleeping, with petals and feathers surrounding them. Soft pink and grey tones.
Review

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

by Anton Bitel

Studio Ghibli does it again with this vibrant, bittersweet adaptation of a classic Japanese folk tale.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A close-up of a smiling, animated fox wearing a suit and tie against a warm, orange background.
Review

Fantastic Mr Fox

by Matt Bochenski

Fantastic Mr Fox will renew your faith in a true American original.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Colourful illustration of a young man gazing up at a propeller plane in a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
Review

The Wind Rises

by David Jenkins

Hayao Miyazaki’s brilliant swansong is a complex, swooning melodrama on aviation and the caveats of creativity.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Colourful LEGO figures in a vibrant scene, including a construction worker, a long-bearded wizard, and a female adventurer with a gold headdress.
Review

The LEGO Movie

by Chris Blohm

Is this a glossy feature-length advert for toys? Nope, it’s a whimsical and hilarious piece of animated nostalgia from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Colourful animated characters - a blue female with blonde hair, a brown-haired female, and a male with red hair - gathered around a large birthday cake with lit candles.
Review

The Smurfs 2

by David Jenkins

More of the same (literally) as this time the Smurfs storm Paris, discuss racial politics and explore their sexuality.

2
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two animated characters, a young girl with dark hair and a larger male character with red clothing, set against a red and pink backdrop.
Review

Wreck-It Ralph

by Chris Blohm

Riffing on the 8‑bit icons of retro arcade games, Wreck-It Ralph is strictly B‑grade Disney.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
A bearded man in red and gold costume holding a parrot, with a smaller costumed character beside him on a wooden floor with shelves in the background.
Review

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

by Matt Bochenski

There’s adventure all right, and science in spades, but someone buried the piracy in Aardman’s latest stop-motion treasure.

5
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Cartoon character in a red dress amongst lush green leaves with water droplets.
Review

Arrietty

by Adam Woodward

A pure, wonderfully animated story of friendship against the odds from an emerging animé voice.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Animated car characters with explosions in the background.
Review

Cars 2

by Nell Frizzell

A long, meandering sub-James Bond pastiche set in the confounding world of talking cars.

3
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect