FERDINAND
US, 2017, 106 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: John Cena, Kate Mac Kinnon, Bobby Cannavale, Jack Gore, Carlos Saldanha, Jeremy Sisto, Colin H. Murphy, Anthony Anderson, Peyton Manning, David Tennant, Gina Rodriguez, Sally Phillips, Daveed Diggs.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha.
Ferdinand is a bull. He lives in Spain. At first, he is a little bull, along with some friends, whose main goal in life is to be chosen by the matador to go to the ring in Madrid, for greater glory. The young bulls watch their fathers’ striving to be chosen by the matador – and Ferdinand’s father is chosen rather than the father of Val, Ferdinand’s biggest rival and taunter, a real case of bully-ing. Ferdinand actually prefers not to fight, plants a flower and waters it, delights in smelling his flower.
Ferdinand has the opportunity to escape and finishes up at a flower farm, bonding with the little girl, Nina, and her father and her dog who is unwilling (despite his eager tail wagging) to befriend Ferdinand. Suddenly, little bull, transforming into big, very big bull. All should be lovely at the farm but Ferdinand, after some to-ing and fro-ing, decides not to obey the command about his not going to the town and the elaborate flower show. He is delighted by the flowers and the display – but is stung by a bee and what follows are some spectacular scenes of mayhem and smashes, including a literal bull in a china shop.
Back to the Casa del Toro. He meets his old friends – and there is a newcomer, a Scottish-brogued bull called Angus. Val has grown bigger at this stage and is eager to be chosen for Madrid. Ferdinand is under the charge of a bucktoothed goat and trainer, Lupe, who is charmed by his friendship, understands his reluctance to fight and they concoct a plan for escaping. Val and Ferdinand do have a clash with Val breaking one of his horns and so ineligible for the ring, Ferdinand being chosen.
The escape sequences are also quite elaborate, having to go through the house and Ferdinand having to breathe in a lot to get out of windows and get through kitchen spaces. Fortunately, there are three tiny hedgehogs with comic voices doing comic turns who are escape experts.
There are some funny scenes when the group try to go to Madrid to rescue Ferdinand, the animals, commandeering a bus, an enormous traffic jam in Madrid which provides the opportunity for a very animated car chase through the city.
As we see right from the beginning, with Ferdinand sniffing his favourite flower, this is not a film that promotes bullfighting. On the contrary, it takes humane stands in consideration of the animals, which means that the final bullfight does not go as the matador predicted, nor as the crowd initially wanted, but humanity prevails or whatever the word for the combination of bull-humanity could be also prevails.
A very good voice cast is led by John Cena as Ferdinand, Kate MacKinnon? enjoying herself as the toothy goat, Bobby Cannavale as both Val and his father – and a good turn and from Angus the Scottish bull voiced by David Tennant.
The director, Carlos Saldanha, originally from Brazil, has directed or co-directed a number of the Ice Age films as well as Rio and Rio 2.
1. An entertaining film for younger and older audiences? Animation, animals and humans, voices? Bright colours, the Spanish setting? The farm for the bulls, flower farms? Madrid? The arena? The musical score? The Spanish tone?
2. The film based on a book for children and the illustrations from the book?
3. The voice cast, the range, American expense accents, Hispanic, British and Scottish?
4. The introduction to Ferdinand, a little bull, his friends, Val and his tough stances, Bones and the others, their friendship? Their attitude towards their fathers? The bulls parading, wanting to be chosen by the matador, to go to Madrid in the arena? The contrast with Ferdinand and his attitude, the flower, watering it, smelling it? The ridicule of the others? Val stamping on it?
5. Ferdinand, the rivalry between his father and Val’s father, his father being chosen?
6. Ferdinand, his escape, on the train, the men in pursuit? Finding Nina, her father? The welcome? The range of flowers and his delight? Growing bigger? Nina and her devotion? The family dog and his wry remarks? Wagging his tail and friendship and not wanting this? Ferdinand forbidden to go to the market? To-ing and fro-ing? His going, delight, the crowds, the people, the stalls, the flowers? His being stung by the bee – and the consequent mayhem? His being rounded up? The return to the house of the bull?
7. The humour of the literal bull in a china shop?
8. The meeting with Lupe, goat, character, appearance, teeth, voice? Job to train Ferdinand? Bones and the other bulls, their friendship? Val and his hostility, taunting Ferdinand? Wanting to go to the arena?
9. The organisation of the escape, the humour of Ferdinand and his size, getting through windows, going through the house? Ferdinand seeing the pictures of all the bulls killed, including his father? Wanting Val to come with them, Val’s resistance, wanting a fight, breaking his home, his humiliation?
10. The humour with the hedgehogs, the characters, voices, antics, helping with the escape?
11. Everybody getting out, the pursuit, getting into the bus, the people afraid and squashing, the humour of the chases, getting to Madrid, the traffic jam, getting to the arena?
12. Ferdinand, his capture, the matador and the choices at the farm, his getting dressed and preparing for the arena?
13. Ferdinand, not wanting to fight, his sitting down, provoking the matador? The red cape? The matador angry, the reversal of roles? The attitude of the crowd, Ferdinand and the flower, the defeat of the matador and his humiliation, the crowd cheering Ferdinand, throwing the flowers?
14. Nina, her father, seeing the story of Ferdinand? Their hurrying to the arena? Nina going out into the arena and reconciled with Ferdinand? Taking him and all the others home? And the dog still wagging his tail?
15. The film’s portrayal of bulls, matadors, the arena and bullfights? The stands against the bullfights? The humanitarian attitude towards animals and the victimisation?
