Orla the Frog Swallow – Orla Frøsnapper (2011)

Directed by: Peter Dodd | 80 minutes | animation, family | Dutch voice cast: Stephan Holwerda, Thomas Cammaert, Pepijn Koolen, Oscar Siegelaar, Marcel Jonker, Lucas Dietens

It is well known that you don’t have to be strong, but smart. With that wisdom in mind, ‘Orla the frog swallower’ has been made, a modern film adaptation of the classic children’s book of the same name from the 1970s by the Danish writer Ole Lund Kirkegaard, who unfortunately died too early. Director Peter Dodd, who previously used his talents as an animator for films such as ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ and ‘Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride’, managed to turn the timeless book into a beautiful and humorous animated film.

The two friends Viktor and Jacob are inhabitants of a sleepy village. It’s summer vacation and the duo have fun playing mischief (like letting the pigs go to neighbor Olsson) and playing with Viktor’s dog Bratwurst or Jacob’s niece Claire. However, what the two boys are also busy with is avoiding Orla, the biggest bully in the village. If Orla is in the area, you’d better turn around. But unfortunately Orla often has the opportunity to show his tormenting skills and especially Viktor, the bravest of the two, regularly receives a beating from the tormentor. Although the thoughtful, always inventing Jacob easily beats his friend’s intelligence level, Viktor often outsmarts the villainous Orla. It’s just a shame that it’s always short-lived. Or will the arrival of the circus Bardini in the Danish village provide a definitive solution?

The circus offers the filmmaker plenty of opportunity to introduce comic characters and fun situations. What about the strong man who lifts a caravan with ease? Or the circus director, who doesn’t look as impressive up close as you’d expect? Villagers get the opportunity to be the center of attention themselves: three amateur acts are shown during the performance and Viktor is eager to show with his dog what they have been practicing all this time. But when Orla finds out, he decides to draw attention to himself and kidnap Bratwurst!

The village and its inhabitants come to life thanks to the cheerful and colorful animation style and it is a universe where young children, but also older film viewers will have a great time. The clumsiness of the book translates well to the silver screen, but nowhere is it old-fashioned or boring, on the contrary! The characters are wonderfully cartoonish and the dialogues are very nice. ‘Orla the frog swallower’ is a beautiful ode to Ole Lund Kirkegaard, proof that the legacy of this Danish folk hero can last for generations to come.