Willy on the unknown planet – Terra Willy: Planète inconnue (2019)

Directed by: Eric Tosti | 90 minutes | animation, adventure, family | Dutch voice cast: Govert Deploige, Sem van der Horst

Anyone who brings an animation film to the cinemas in the run-up to the Christmas holidays can usually count on a nice receipt. Sure, during the holidays most people have other things to do, but because the kids are off for two weeks, there are still plenty of days left to catch a movie. And because the weather is usually inclement, wet and cold, that’s also a very tempting idea for many parents. In addition to the large (Hollywood) studios, smaller production companies are also trying to get their share at this time of year. One of those privateers on the coast is the French TAT Productions, which was founded in 2000 by the brothers Eric and Jean-François Tosti and David Alaux and gained international fame with ‘The Jungle Bunch’, the animated series that won the threesome an International Emmy Award. yielded. The 2017 film of the same name was the first feature film the studio produced; it attracted more than 700,000 visitors in France and was seen worldwide as the fourth most watched French film production of that year. At TAT they have high expectations for the second full-length animated film, released in the Netherlands under the title ‘Willy on the unknown planet’ (2019).

Little boy Willy is on a space mission with his parents when a meteor shower throws a spanner in the works. Willy’s mother and father must make a very difficult decision to save their son: they must let him go. The space capsule Willy plays in detaches from the mothership and heads for the nearest planet. This turns out to be a wonderful planet where a lot of life can be found and where people can survive just fine. Although it is a bit difficult for little Willy to acclimatize: the creatures that live here, for example, are quite remarkable. Who are his friends and who better to walk around with a big bow? And which berries, plants and fruits can he eat and which not? Because he doesn’t like eating only canned broccoli puree (from the stock in the capsule). Fortunately, he has the smart (but also a little know-it-all) robot BUCK with him to help him survive. But of course, such an ingenious pile of steel cannot give love, so if Willy misses his parents, he cannot turn to them. So it’s a good thing he quickly makes friends with the cutest little creature that roams this unknown planet. He decides to name this orange wad, which resembles a wagging puppy, Flash. The three of them discover this wonderful planet, its flora and fauna and… its dangers.

Becoming a space traveler may be a dream for many small children. ‘Willy on the unknown planet’ will put them down to earth: there are also less pleasant sides to life as an astronaut. Getting separated from your parents is pretty much the worst nightmare for an average six-year-old. There is of course a sea of ​​possibilities for an animation studio to exploit the emotions that come with it. But the Tosti brothers don’t let us feel Willy’s loss. In fact, Willy seems to be resigned to being snatched away from his parents without too much trouble. He may never see them again, how bad must that be? Apparently not so according to the Tosti’s. Maybe we’ve been spoiled too much with emotion in animated movies that we now expect to see it in every movie? The fact is that the impact of the story is modest due to the lack of those feelings and that the characters do not get the depth that they might deserve. It’s not original and funny either. What remains is a light-hearted, colorful children’s adventure that is especially fun because of the bizarre design of the unknown planet. Strange creatures, giant insects, vegetation in crazy shapes and imaginative landscapes; and all in colors that wouldn’t look out of place in an average candy store. The little ones will probably enjoy the exuberant color and shape palette, but there is less to enjoy for the watching adult.