Capture the Flag ***½ (2015, Carme Calvell, Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner, Javier Balas, Camilo Garcia, Oriol Tarragó) – Movie Review

Now here’s something tasty and a bit different – a 3D animated adventure comedy about landing on the Moon, then and now. It’s got an involving proper story to tell – it isn’t just a string of situations and gags like so many animations. It is a nice, spirited movie and it’s easy to like. Just sit back and relax and enjoy the flight.

Carme Calvell voices plucky 12-year old kid Mike Goldwing who stows away on the space shuttle accompanied by his astronaut grandfather Frank (Camilo Garcia), best friends Amy (Michelle Jenner) and Marty (Javier Balas), and a clever chameleon, the lizard Igor (Oriol Tarragó).

Dani Rovira voices the villain Richard Carson, an evil billionaire who plans to rocket to the Moon, steal its mineral resources, and destroy the American flag planted by the 1969 Apollo XI team.

Director Enrique Gato’s Spanish animated feature is bright, lively and fun, with good characters (especially the lizard Igor for kids), and yes original. There are lots of laughs along the way and a bit of heart-warming sentimentality at the end – not too much. Despite its Spanish making, it gets into the American spirit and ethos very strongly, ironically locating itself in a world where there are only Americans. Oddly, it doesn’t seem to want to satirise this either, just dig deep into it.

The 3D adds a useful layer to a good-looking, imaginative movie. They’ve managed to make this for €12,500,000 instead of the usual $120million American animations invariably cost, so that’s enterprising (though they haven’t any costly superstar voices to pay for). They have the American studio Paramount behind them for distribution, so, with luck, it should go well.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/

Michelle Jenner provides the voice of Amy, the first girl on the Moon.