The Lion and the Three Brigands **
by Rasmus A. Sivertsen
Norwegian animated film, 1 h 19, from 5 years old
Thieves and dirty, these three robbers are not very clever. Distant cousins of the Daltons, Jasper, Casper and Jonathan are much less mean and violent than their colleagues from the Wild West.
Imagined by the Norwegian author Thorbjørn Egner, star in his country of children’s literature, these nickel-plated feet too lazy to work and wash themselves prefer to let themselves live and steal their food, while defending themselves thanks to their domestic lion… Victims of their larceny, the inhabitants of the peaceful village of Cardamome are determined to catch them hand in hand.
When the three robbers decide to kidnap Aunt Sofie, a stereotype of cantankerous “old maid” and giver of lessons, to keep their house, their life as marginalized people takes an unexpected turn…
“The Law of Cardamom”
A tale about living together so famous in Norway that “Cardamom’s law” has passed into everyday language, this animated musical comedy adaptation is a plea for tolerance, inclusion and harmony, in a diverse society where everyone should be able to find their place.
Thwarting the gendered clichés of the original story, the scenario provides young audiences, aged 5 to 10, with a welcome moral. It’s a pity that it’s hit repeatedly during this film, which benefits from surprisingly fluid animation. A successful combination of beautiful tangible sets and computer-generated characters, The Lion and the Three Brigands allows itself to be looked at without displeasure, even if it would have benefited from being more concise.
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