Ernest & Célestine - 6 stars out of 10

Ernest & Célestine - 6 stars out of 10

“Ernest & Célestine” is a straightforward story about a mouse who befriends a bear, but the animation is so good that it doesn’t need anything more than that.  Even though I generally prefer to watch films in their original language, this film has an English dub that is worth checking out.  It uses big names like Forrest Whitaker as Ernest, Paul Giamatti as Rat Judge, and William H. Macy as Head Dentist, though Whitaker doesn’t sound like himself (which works well for the character) and the other two are in so little of the film that you barely notice them.  Still, Mackenzie Foy’s voice is so perfect for Célestine that it’s worth watching in English.  The mouths don’t line up perfectly with the dialogue but you can barely even tell due to the choppy animation style.  Visually, the film perfectly mimics the illustration of the original children’s stories.  Probably the best part of the entire story is the animation sequence at the end where we see the pictures being drawn.  I have seen this gimmick used many times, but never effectively as this.  I wouldn’t say that there is anything particularly special about “Ernest & Célestine” that would make me say that it deserved its Oscar nomination, but it’s entertaining, kid-friendly, and a good watch.