Elias: All anchors ahead! – Elias og Storegaps Hemmelighet (2017)

Directed by: Simen Alsvik, Will Ashurst | 74 minutes | animation, family | Dutch voice cast: Eva Kolsteren, Christiaan Schreuder, Jan-Willem Verkuyl

Elias the Little Lifeboat is a popular children’s television series. The series initially ran from 2005 to 2008. In 2013, the series got a reboot and now there is a movie called ‘Elias: All anchors ahead!’. In this film, Elias heroically saves a ship in trouble and in return he is allowed to become the lifeboat of Grote Haven. This does mean that Elias has to leave his friends behind in Thuishaven. Once in Grote Haven, Elias meets Stella, a tough girl, who takes him along in his new environment. One evening, Elias discovers some ships that have dark plans. Of course Elias feels called to put a stop to this.

As a series ‘Elias’ already managed to distinguish itself by its beautiful realistic animation style and that is also an important element in this film. The fictional world of a Norwegian coastline with the Great Harbor and Thuishaven situated next to it is extremely believable and, not unimportant for the audience, which will mainly consist of smaller film lovers, nicely organized. It is clear that the two harbors are close to each other and in their vicinity is also the rocky Black Hole, where, as the name suggests, dark things take place.

This clarity is also present in the storyline. Of course Elias runs into all kinds of problems and challenges, but nowhere is the plot too complicated for the small viewers. They are nice bite-sized problems that are solved and that do not require a higher level of abstraction anywhere. In addition to the clarity already mentioned, this also ensures a pleasant pace in ‘Elias: All anchors ahead!’. In addition, the problems that arise are easy to follow. These are themes that will appeal to the young audience. For example, think of friendship and obedience.

What is unfortunate – but fortunately that is only a small aspect in the whole, is that the makers are trying to “disneyficate” the film. Of course there will always be an overlap with the animation giant in terms of theme, but the makers have also chosen to introduce a “comic relief”. Throughout the film, two seagulls return that are supposed to be the comic relief in the whole, but are really just distracting.

This does not alter the fact that ‘Elias: All anchors ahead!’ a fun, appropriately exciting film that is beautifully made and nice to look at.