Solan & Ludwig go to the moon – Månelyst i Flåklypa (2018)

Directed by: Rasmus A. Sivertsen | 80 minutes | animation, family | Dutch voice cast: Dennis Willekens, Hero Muller, Mitchell van den Dungen Bille, Rutger le Poole, Frédérique Sluyterman van Loo, Lucas Dietens, Frank Hoelen

It is one of the most loved films in Norway, ‘Flåklypa Grand Prix’ (1975) by director Ivo Caprino. In this animation film, the characters that author Kjell Aukrust (1920-2002) once invented play the leading roles. The stop-motion film that Caprino made has been shown continuously for almost thirty years in a cinema somewhere in Norway – a unique feature. Many Norwegians believe that such cultural heritage cannot be tampered with. That’s why not everyone was immediately enthusiastic when film studio Qvisten Animation announced in 2013 that it was redesigning Aukrust’s work and releasing three new, original films. ‘They only do that to make a lot of money’, was the general, skeptical opinion. But Qvisten Animation and director Rasmus A. Sivertsen (‘The animals from the Hakkebakkebos’, 2016) effortlessly silenced the critics with their charming and pure approach, with figures that come very close to how Aukrust saw them long ago. ever thought of. And so, after ‘Solan og Ludvig – Jul i Flåklypa’ (Solan & Ludwig and the Snow Machine’, 2013), ‘Solan og Ludvig: Herfra til Flåklypa’ (‘Solan & Ludwig: The Great Cheese Race’, 2015) appeared. The third and reportedly final installment in the trilogy is ‘Solan og Ludwig: Månelyst i Flåklypa’ (‘Solan & Ludwig go to the moon’, 2019), in which the brave magpie Solan and the fearful hedgehog Ludwig embark on an exciting adventure in space. experience.

This year it is exactly fifty years ago that man first set foot on the moon and the makers of ‘Solan & Ludwig go to the moon’ are cleverly responding to that. Solan, Ludwig and the brilliant inventor Reodor Felgen are in the workshop in Flåklypa when they hear on the television news that the United Nations has decided that no one owns the moon and that the country that first plants its flag on the moon will rightful owner. The Russians and Americans, among others, are working on a plan, but Norway also wants to make a bid to attract this prestigious object. As an inventor, Reodor feels responsible for building a super-fast spaceship, luckily he gets support from the Norwegian government in the person of Vigfus Skonken and enough cash to get it going. Although the spaceship has its limitations, Reodor manages to prepare it for launch. All these situations make Ludwig nervous, while even the ever-positive Solan has his doubts about whether it will all work out. Television crews provide an exciting live report that is followed by many Norwegians and the mayor of Flåklypa, Countess Stengelføhn-Glad, is also there to celebrate. Shortly after launch, however, our friends not only discover stowaways aboard the starship, but also face hidden agendas and emergencies. Hope it turns out fine…

The animation films by Solan and Ludwig have a lot to offer young viewers as well as their watching fathers and mothers. The little ones are fully involved in the adventure of our heroes: first they wonder if they will ever be launched into space, and then the question is whether they will ever come back home. That’s exciting enough for them; They really don’t need roaring explosions, terrifying aliens and meteorites flying loose – luckily ‘Solan & Ludwig go to the moon’ keeps the story simple and clear. The ingenuity is mainly in the visual discoveries, the subtle references to real life, the puns and the subtle sarcasm. Things that also make an animated film for adults worthwhile. In some films, the references to popular culture are imprinted, but here the references are incorporated in a more modest – but no less funny – way. The squabbling between the ambitious newscaster and the local reporter, for example, makes for a delightful spectacle. Less successful is the pushy, snobbish mayor whose meddling – often literally – throws sand in the engine.

And then we haven’t even mentioned the amazing stop-motion animation that Qvisten Animation is treating us to. In the spirit of the American Laika (known from ‘Coraline’, 2009 and ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’, 2016) and especially the British Aardman Animation (‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’, 2005 and ‘Shaun the Sheep Movie’, 2015) this small Norwegian studio works with limited budgets but with infinite love, time, attention and eye for detail on an impressive body of work that honors classic Norwegian writers such as Kjell Aukrust and Thorbjørn Egner. That results in wonderfully funny characters: especially the TV-watching Norwegians that we occasionally see passing us by are hilarious. Caricatures with exaggerated features that sometimes resemble trolls or lavens, but nevertheless recognizable and endearing. The shrewd inventions of the old Reodor are also fantastic in all their details, originality and nods to today’s reality. The adventures that Solan and Ludwig experience in space – accompanied by excellently appropriate music – are also a feast for the eyes. The fact that this charming film also opens our eyes en passant and points us to what really matters in life is the icing on the cake.