A deadbeat owl dad and a seagull named Armstrong fight bird fascism. Danish animation is WILD.
Fagin is the bad bird of an otherwise idyllic forest. He assaults the nest of two wrens and destroys all their eggs except one that, when hatched, is adopted by an owl (patterned on W. C. Fields). A counter-offensive against Fagin is launched with help enlisted from a seagull named Armstrong, two nice mice and a sparrow. There is romance, too, and a jazzy score goes with this animated ornithology extravaganza.
Score
Jazz soundtrack slaps harder than any children's film deserves.
Direction
Hastrup's hand-drawn style is gloriously unpolished and alive.
Acting
W.C. Fields-inspired owl delivery is comedic gold.
Director
Jannik Hastrup
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jannik Hastrup was Denmark's animation rebel, deliberately rejecting Disney polish for raw emotional honesty. This film got zero US marketing despite its ambition.
The W.C. Fields owl impression was improvised by Tommy Kenter after the director showed him Fields clips. The original script had the owl as stern, not pathetic.
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