Director: Toby Schwarz, Aizea Roca Berridi
Writer: Peter Dollinger, Tess Meyer, Marcus Sauermann
Stars: Lilly Graffam, Tom Zahner, Leonardo Lucero
Synopsis: Free spirited Heidi faces forces beyond her years to protect her Grandfather and the alpine wilderness she loves from a ruthless businessman and the hungry jaws of his new saw mill.
Adapting a classic work of art for modern times is not an easy task. Especially dealing with children’s literature, trying to eliminate problematic parts or ideas that don’t fit into today’s grander themes and empowering girlhood tropes. As beautiful as the original tale of Heidi is, this rendition is an excellent modernization and upgrade of the timeless classic tale.
Proper introductions first; Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx is loosely based on Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s ageless classic. It has many of the themes in the original book, but takes a dramatic shift in its representation. Heidi is not illiterate, a key important message to send to young girls nowadays if we want them to cling to her image as their animated movie hero. Her grandfather is not a misogynistic villain, but a grumpy recluse who takes good care of her and stands up for his village, Dörfli, refusing the intrusion of an industrialist stranger willing to destroy the nature of the alpine meadows.
Heidi is no longer a people-pleasing Pollyanna. In this version of the story, she has intelligent conversations with her grandpa, she plans to travel and see her best friend, Klara. But Heidi’s real adventure starts when she rescues a little lynx kitten from a trap, nursing him, and warning the entire village from the greedy Mr. Schnaittinger who intends to graft the resources of this idyllic alpine village and ruin it with the industrialization plans, killing its natural life and imbalancing its ecosystem in the process.
Heidi and her grandpa embody the hero’s journey in all its complexity and honor. Events intensify when Heidi decides to return Pepper to his natural habitat, and her grandpa defies the shady Schnaittinger. The plot thickens and the characters embark on separate mini journeys where their paths cross but don’t collide. Heidi retains her individuality, independent of any of the male figures in her life, even her grandpa, who has a growth arc and a redemption tale of his own to follow. But Heidi stands up for herself, her grandpa, and the entire community, showcasing her active role in changing the course of actions in this small town, taking her grandpa’s firm stance against industrialization and saving the wildlife to a whole other level.
Teaching kids to save wildlife is as important a message as it is for adults. Recently, Kelsey Taylor’s To Kill A Wolf tackled a similar theme, with the main protagonist freeing wolves from traps. It’s an environmentalist, ethical animated film. It raises awareness in the minds of children and tweens while also paving the way for fruitful discussions afterward with parents.
Not only is the animated feature important and informative, but it is also gorgeous to look at. The 3D design of the characters looks great, and are very Pixar-inspired with detailed structuring. The lynx, especially, looks immaculate with its perfect feline features. The visual effects team has some great names such as David Bobichon, Annick Buhr, Frank Dürschinger, and Sean Heuston. Together, they work harmoniously to create the perfect image, from texturing, modeling, and lighting to the animations themselves. Kudos to animators Cristina Vargas Villa and Estefany Villarreal for bringing those magical characters to life with such vivid detail, especially Pepper, the lynx kitten, beautifully drawn and adorably expressive. The voice actors also do a great job; every element complements the others, resulting in a refreshing story—a great escape from the redundancy of chronically online worlds and summer heat.
Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx proves that many childhood fairytales and bedtime stories contain rich material for a modern adaptation. Even problematic tales can be improved and adapted to fit changing times, and Toby Schwarz and Aizea Roca Berridi succeed in creating a modern twist on a beloved children’s story that can entertain both kids and adults.
