Lava

Voices of: Napua Greig, Kuana Torres Kahele
Directed by: James Ford Murphy
Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Short
Length: 7 minutes
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A volcano sings his song, dreaming of the day when he will find love.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed Lava. I know the film received some criticism, but I think much of that is unwarranted. This is definitely a different short film, but it's hard for me to complain too much about it. It might not be among Pixar's greatest shorts, but it's cute and entertaining.

The movie is beautifully animated. The vibrant colors, the landscape, and especially the animals- it's all gorgeous. The visuals are perhaps its greatest strength. The song is good, too. It's essential, as it spans the entire movie. It was catchy and relaxing and told the story well.

One of the complaints is that not much happens in the short. The story is told to us through the song, and not much actually happens. I suppose this is true, but I didn't see it as a big issue. The short film is about two volcanoes falling in love. Volcanoes don't move. That might be a bit of a limitation with the story, but I have to admit, before this film, I'd never seen a volcano love story before. So, the movie deserves a certain amount of credit for its totally original take on the age-old romance tale.

This film is fine, it's decently entertaining. My five year-old son loved the "I lava you" pun and he enjoyed the visuals. It was fun watching this movie as a family. My 19-month old daughter was interested as well. She didn't seem to have any complaints, for what it's worth.

I guess I agree that Lava isn't a great film, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable one.

* Update- I watched Lava again a few months after first seeing it, because my kids wanted to see it again. I definitely didn't mind watching it again. My original review was right on. It's a cute little film and the song is enjoyable. I wouldn't mind watching this again, and given my rapidly-growing-up kids, it's very possible I'll be writing more updates in the future.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Moana