Robin Robin is a stop-motion, animated short film by filmmakers Mikey Please and Dan Ojari.
This project is the latest from Aardman, the studio powerhouse behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.
One evening, an egg falls in front of a family of mice just as they were turning in for bed. Once the egg hatches, the family discovers the newborn is a Robin (Bronte Carmichael). The aptly named fowl is then officially taken in by Dad Mouse (Adeel Akhtar) and his family who raise her as their own. The family makes several attempts to involve her in their late-night hijinx (raiding homes for crumbs and goodies), but Robin’s repeated failures cause her to question who and what she really is.
The film is a 30-minute balancing act of acceptance and courage. On one hand, the family of mice could’ve easily gone inside for bed without caring about the egg outside, since that wasn’t their business. But Dad Mouse knew danger was around the corner and that egg wouldn’t have lasted long outside. Even after discovering what was in that egg (an animal that looked nothing like them) he still took her in and accepted her as family. On the other side, Robin, who carried herself with fake ears to resemble a mouse, had to face a serious truth. She accepted that she wasn’t like the others, lacking the ability to do what they can, and found the courage to accept herself as she was.
On her adventures, she makes a new friend in Magpie (Richard E. Grant) and an enemy in a large Cat (Gillian Anderson).
This short has it all: happiness, sadness, anger, adventure, and a host of unexpected musical numbers. The Aardman team truly made the most of their 30 minutes.
I give Robin Robin an 8 out of 10. Children will love it and parents will enjoy it. The animals are adorable and as I stated before, there are good lessons to be learned. The setting makes it feel like a Christmas movie so expect all the holiday feels.
Robin Robin is available now on Netflix
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix