To be honest, I wasn't overly fussed with this one on first viewing, but as I've watched it more and more with my kids, it's become one of my favourite of the Julia Donaldson specials. The animation is fantastic as always, the voice acting perfectly sets the tone, and the music is very tranquil.
Rob Brydon's performance as the whale, especially as he's describing the scenery around them as they go around the world is very relaxing, and the scene when he gets beached is gut-wrenching on an almost Pixar level. I must have read the book to my kids a thousand times by now, and I genuinely wondered if they were gonna deviate from the book completely when the villagers (and the snail) rescued him.
Rob Brydon's performance as the whale, especially as he's describing the scenery around them as they go around the world is very relaxing, and the scene when he gets beached is gut-wrenching on an almost Pixar level. I must have read the book to my kids a thousand times by now, and I genuinely wondered if they were gonna deviate from the book completely when the villagers (and the snail) rescued him.