Oddbods Candy or Ghosts (2021)

Directed by: Simon Pike, S’ Cephas | 55 minutes | animation | Dutch voice cast: Gert-Jan van den Ende, Erik van Trommel

The Oddbods are seven furry/plush characters that star in their own series. Bubbles, Slick, Newt, Fuse, Pogo, Jeff and Zee each have their quirks. They have their own recognizable color à la the Teletubbies. One Animation in Singapore released this internationally highly successful series in 2013 and since then the Oddbods have only grown in popularity.

‘Oddbods Candy or Ghosts’ is a compilation of three ‘Oddbods’ specials: ‘Halloween heroes’ (‘Halloween Heroes’) (first released in October 2021); “Party Monsters” (“Party Monsters”, an October 2018 special) and “The Curse of Oddbaard” (“Oddbeard’s Curse”) (an October 2020 special). Ernst and Bobbie (Gert-Jan van den Ende and Erik van Trommel) joined forces especially for the Dutch adaptation; in their familiar way they comment on the otherwise dialogueless films (the Oddbods do make noise, but those are universal slogans, a bit comparable to ‘Shaun the Sheep’).

In ‘Halloween Heroes’, the seven Oddbods visit a museum, where they plan a Halloween party. In a museum you have to behave naturally, look with your eyes, not with your hands, otherwise precious things will break. But something much worse happens to the Oddbods: a ghostly curse is unleashed, bringing all kinds of exhibits to life on his ‘Night at the Museums’. Of course the Oddbods manage to restore this, but kids who don’t like mummies, witches and ghosts will find this quite exciting.

That is perhaps even more true for the second part: ‘Party Monsters’. Jeff throws a costume party, but not everyone turns out to be in costume. Or is it? When a real magician comes to the party, something goes wrong: everyone turns into what they are dressed up as. That means, among other things, a werewolf, a vampire, a mummy and a witch, but luckily there is also someone dressed as Sherlock Holmes. That says enough, but there is enough to be creepy in this episode.

Finally, ‘The Curse of Oddbaard’ is included in this compilation film. Oddbaard is a pirate captain who didn’t have such a happy ending. When a treasure chest is fished out by one of the Oddbods, it unleashes a thrilling adventure, in which the Oddbods are chased by pirate skeletons and end up on Oddbaard’s ship.

‘Oddbods Candy or Ghosts’ is great fun for the little Oddbods fans. Thanks to the overarching Halloween theme, the film is a bit exciting for the very little ones, the viewing pointer of six is ​​certainly appropriate. To get in the Halloween mood, ‘Candy of ghosts’ is in any case extremely suitable.