Mamma Boe – looking for home – Mamma Mu hittar him (2021)

Directed by: Christian Ryltenius, Tomas Tivemark | 63 minutes | animation | Dutch voice cast: Paul Disbergen, Jannemien Cnossen, Leonoor Koster, Florens Eykemans, Luca van Ammers, Jip Bartels, Romy Winters, Simon Zwiers

“The craziest cow in the meadow, that’s Mamma Boe
Always cheerful and happy, Mamma Boe the nicest cow”

The above lyrics are characteristic of Mamma Boe, the main character from the cartoon series of the same name. The cow is incessantly looking for adventure and performs the necessary strange pranks. Thus, trying to find out what it’s like to be a tree, she stands the entire opening right on her head. Moments later, when she sees the fish and frogs in the water, her first thought is to dive in.

Her boyfriend Mister Crow is a bit calmer. He tries to protect his girlfriend from harm and mainly wants to lead his life in a normal way. But that quiet life comes to an end when Stork makes her appearance. With her stories about strange, exotic countries and regions, she makes Mamma Boe’s head go wild.

The wanderlust cow sees it safe to leave her familiar home for some new experiences. Mr Crow thinks so. Everything to see outside the farm, you can also find here. Or else they just build it? Is the grass really that green elsewhere, he contributes to the viewer. Stork can be seen as a typical film intruder, which further intensifies the unrest in Mamma Boe.

While the two birds dispute where paradise really lies, Mamma Boe slowly becomes the extra of the story. It takes quite a while before she takes matters into her own hands and decides to take the gamble on the strange. The basic emotions that accompany this, however, make her ultimate choices easily palpable. Is she really going for the adventure or will it be east west, home is best?

All this takes place in a lovely and picturesque painted farmhouse decor. The characters, mainly animals, are more simple animations. Stylistically, ‘Mamma Boe – looking for home’ from Sweden is therefore reminiscent of the cartoons from the eighties and nineties. A nice nostalgic reunion. For the children, the film is aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, and this effective simplicity gives the picture the necessary peace of mind. The fact that ‘Mamma Boe – looking for home’ does unfold at a very slow pace, however, ensures that the attention of the watching three-year-old ebbs every now and then. The songs are a lifesaver. There aren’t many, but they manage to bring attention back to the screen without any effort.