YELLOW BIRD / Gus - petit oiseau, grand voyage

France, 2015, 90 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Seth Green, Dakota Fanning, Danny Glover, Jim Rash, Christine Moran Ski, Brady Corbett, Yvette Nicole Brown, Richard Kind, Elliott Gould.
Directed by Christian De Vita.

Yellowbird is a small French animation film from a small studio – but, with the English language version, quite an American cast for the voices.

The film is designed for younger audiences, for family audiences, a story of an outsider bird, hatched from lost egg, cared for by a ladybug, urged to go out of his safety zone, in contact with the patriarch bird of his flock dying after an attack from vicious cats, told the directions for the family to fly to Africa.

The yellowbird takes this as an opportunity for leadership, partly diffident, challenging another bird who should have been the leader, finding some clues but actually leading the birds in the wrong direction, Holland instead of Spain, then further north – but, with an inspiration, urges them to get inside a plane which is flying south and which lands them in Africa.

A pleasant story about birds and migration, a pleasant story about an awkward young bird and his finding himself – and with a touch of romance.

1. A film for families and young audiences? Interest in birds, migration? The outsider? Adventures?

2. The animation style, the characters, realistic, touch of caricature with Sam’s appearance and voice and the cats? Layouts and background? The forests, the sea, icebergs, inside of the planes? Africa? The musical score?

3. Introduction to the yellow bird, the egg, falling out of the nest, travelling far, hatching? The odd look of the bird? The friendship of the ladybug? His diffidence, not going outside, the ladybug urging him to greater things?

4. The flock of birds, blue? The leader, his accident, pursued by the cats, his bequest to the yellow bird? His death? His wanting Carl to lead? Giving the directions to the yellow bird?

5. The cats, scary, their comeuppance?

6. The need for the birds to migrate, the range of the members of the family, the parents, the children, Delf? The touches of comedy with the bird and the feathers over his eyes?

7. The discussions about leadership, Carl, his being upset, confrontations with the yellow bird?

8. The yellow bird and his not wanting to lead, his being urged, his instinct and sixth sense, the appearances of the ladybug and her help?

9. For the trip, the pointed rock, the fireflies and the lights of Paris, the landing in Paris? The desire for Africa, to meet their friend, the need for food, being tired? Flying north, landing in Holland, the birds pretending that it was Spain? The beach, the bears and their advice?

10. Flying north, the Arctic? The upturned boat, the interiors, dangers and menace, the seals and their ghostly presence?

11. The iron birds, the planes, the stories of the fear of iron birds? The yellow bird and his urging them to go into the plane, difficulties, rescuing Carl, his gratitude?

12. Delf, the attraction, the interplay with the yellow bird, flirting, his trying to tell the truth, the upset when they found out the truth? The encouragement of the romance?

13. Landing in Africa, the gratitude of the family? The joke about the friend being called Sam O’ Cool? The yellow bird needing a name, getting it as Sam? The ladybug and her praise of him?