Parents, you children will NOT see this delightful film unless you stay up all night and tape if for them (if you live in USA). This film is rated "Mature audiences", which means American television cannot show it except on premium cable in the middle of the night. The reason for this is that women in West Africa have never worn anything above the waist, and they are authentically illustrated, without guilt or shame, in their every-day clothing. Not suitable for children in the USA, but perfectly alright in the rest of the world.

A lovely animated film based on West African folklore, in which a precocious baby crawls out of his mother and almost immediately begins defending their village against a sorceress and her minions. The animation is beautiful but never forced, and its lean style paired well with the story. I loved the setting and how true it felt to a traditional tale, one full of magical aspects which kept me from knowing what would happen next. I also loved what felt like the parable at the film's center: how evil relies on ignorance and fear, and how evil itself is created through trauma.

Kirikou is a hero not just because he's brave and smart; just as importantly, he's a pure, innocent soul, the kind that evil always struggles to subvert. He asks questions, thinks his way through difficult situations, doesn't back down or take the easy path, and never gets angry or emotional. The fact that he understands there is a root cause to evil and seeks to find it out and address it rather than kill his nemesis, showing empathy along the way, is really quite profound. He seems too good for this world, leading to a fantastic scene with his fellow villagers towards the end. Great work all around on this one, and a joy to spend 71 minutes on.

This is a really joyous animation to watch. A pregnant lady gives birth to a determined young infant who can immediately walk, talk and who names himself "Kirikou". Enthusiastic, questioning, innocent - he discovers that his village well has been stopped up by the evil sorceress "Karaba" and so decides to rectify the situation. His adventures are fun, simple - as is the animation - with plenty of humour from the dialogue, just the tiniest degree of menace and some interesting characterisations for our young man to engage with along the way. The film looks a little at the superstitions that guide this small West African community, but also at their people's synergies with nature - the whole collaborative way in which humans and other animals co-exist (or not). The themes are relayed cleverly using the naivety of a child's eyes - and that's frequently poignant, comical, amusing - and surprisingly practical. "Kirikou" is a can-do child! Sure, if he was your's you might have wanted to throttle him at birth - he is a tad precocious, but if this film doesn't make you smile and feel better, then I don't know what will....