31 Minutes: The Movie

The first feature from Chile's cult puppet news programme 31 Minutos, made in 2008, opens with chaos familiar to anyone who knows the series. The wicked billionaire Cachirula kidnaps Juanín Juan Harry to complete her strange animal collection, and the programme's crew set out to rescue him. The film keeps the show's sense of humour: jokes that look aimed at children while winking openly at adults, mockery of television formats and songs throughout. The puppet design and stage world deliberately sustain a low-budget, hand-made aesthetic. The songs reached a wide audience across Latin America independently of the film. The move to a feature was considered one of the few cases where the scale grew without damaging the series. Who it's for: viewers of 31 Minutos and anyone who likes puppet animation. Who it's not for: newcomers to the series; much of the humour depends on knowing it.