Warning: Mild spoilers follow.
Based on the classic children’s book by Munro Leaf “The Story of Ferdinand,” Ferdinand follows a bull who favors flowers and friendship over fighting—unusual for an animal traditionally seen as a pawn and symbol for aggression and hostility. Funny, sweet and relatable, the story relays powerful messages against nonviolence and the culture of bullying (no pun intended) in a very charming way.
The story opens by giving us a glimpse of what the titular Ferdinand’s childhood was like. He was born in Spain and grew up on a bull farm where every bull is groomed and expected to be a bullfighter. Hints of Ferdinand’s gentleness is explicitly revealed in the first few sequence of the film, as well as a childhood trauma that will lead him to escape his birthplace and move the plot forward.
Although the biggest among his friends, Ferdinand preferred smelling flowers than petty combat and his friends thought little of him because of it. He was seen as weird and abnormal because he was soft, and his friends constantly made fun of him because he won’t let out a punch. This reflects society’s tendency to label people negatively because he’s different from a group.
Eventually, Ferdinand ended up on a flower farm and lived with a family that loves animals and accepts him for who he is. Ferdinand grew to be so strong and big that eventually, the old bull farm where he came from found him. He was forced to participate in a significant bullfight in Madrid against his will. In the ring, Ferdinand stood his ground and didn’t fight. Surprisingly, the audience applauded his behavior seeing the sincerity of his intentions.
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Director Carlos Saldanha and Blue Sky successfully put up an entertaining animated film about Madrid’s favorite bullfighting tradition while delivering a universal be-true-to-yourself lesson without being too mushy or didactic. The villains who eventually became heroes were not just cookie-cutter depictions of evil or “bullies,” but characters with well-narrated and relatable origins, allowing the audience to understand why they are acting in a wrong way.
The movie contextualized the setting, color palette, costumes, voice work, and dialogues, but fall short in making great music to enhance it. It could’ve been better if the accompanying OST pays homage to the culture it was exploring, like how “Book of Life” and “Coco” did it.
Overall, the movie is an excellent prompt for families to open up a healthy conversation about bullying, especially today when it’s rampant both in the virtual and real world. The animation was bright, lively and quirky enough to bring an 81-year-old illustrated book to a contemporary audience. Most importantly, it encourages kids to be true to who they are and for their parents to embrace it.
CRYING METER: 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyJgGsZo2wA
