CinemaSerf (January 30, 2025)

Now I knew that the Tour de France had an element of peril to it, but I'd never have thought anyone would stoop to kidnapping three of the cyclists! Well that's what happens to "Champion" and it's what motivates his loving grandmother "Mme. Souza" and her chunky mutt "Bruno" to come to their rescue. Whilst we know a little of the cunning plan afoot by the felons she must travel to the quaint town of "Belleville" and do her own investigating. Fortunately, there are three old ladies who take a shine to this fish-out-if-water pair and provide them with board, lodgings and maybe just a bit of inspiration for their search. When that leads them to their own local, diminutive, Godfather-figure things really start to hot up and the bullets start to fly! Just what has "Champion" got that they all want? I really enjoined the animation style of this caper. Straight out of the blocks we've got something that wouldn't have looked out of place in "Top Hat" (1935) before the lively jazzy soundtrack provides an amiable conduit for a story that's full of twists and turns and that pays an homage to pretty much the whole gamut of film-noir genres en route to it's denouement. The facials are hugely expressive and the cast of characters - real-life and fictional - presents us with some quirky and engaging comedy drama for eighty minutes. This is good fun, darkly engaging and well worth the watch.