Animal Crossing: The Movie

Ai has just moved to the village. She has a house, a mortgage on it, and starts work at the shop. The other residents are animals; each has a job, a temperament and a daily routine. Ai fishes, catches insects, tends the garden and gets to know her neighbours. A year passes; the seasons turn, snow falls, a festival is held. There is also a small matter concerning a lost snowflake and shooting stars. There is no great danger; the narrative is the year itself. Joji Shimura directs. The film is adapted from the game series of the same name. It is a Japanese production. The narrative follows the order of the game; daily chores, letters, visits to neighbours and seasonal events come in turn. The matter it treats is settling in; a newcomer becomes part of a place over time. The film builds no conflict and uses no villain. The narrative aims at a young audience and the pace is very calm. Details of the game are carried over exactly; there is much that is familiar for anyone who plays it. The narrative is divided into parts and each part is a season. The film uses the music of the game. The ending completes a year. Its limit is scale; the plot is very thin, there is no dramatic weight, and it says little to anyone who does not know the game. Who it is for: people who like the game and anyone looking for something to watch with small children. Who it is not for: it is uneventful, very calm, and the ending plain.