online catalogue
Taking Stock

Harvie and the Magic Museum

Martin Kotík, Inna Evlannikova | Czech Republic | 2017 | 86 min | CS

Harvie is a smart but slightly too lively boy with one ambition, to finish the last level of his computer game. Once in the Gamers Hall of Fame, his absent-minded father, Mr. Spejbl, would finally be proud of him. But finishing the game turns out to be only the start of a real adventure that takes Harvie, his dog Jerry, and his friend Monica deep into the forgotten realms of the city’s old puppet museum. And as Harvie accidentally activates a legendary magic disc, he brings the museum and all its puppets to life along with the ancient and monstrous puppet master!
For executive producer and director Martin Kotík along with graphic designer Martin Zahradník, the production of this animated family film took more than seven years. The production team consisted of top screenwriters, animators and special effects artists from all over Europe. The co-creator of the story and a member of the directing team was Jesper Møller, who directed for example Asterix and the Vikings. The 3D animated film was made using state-of-the-art technological methods, but it didn’t lose the poetics and humour based on the endless teasing between Harvie and his dad Spejbl.

Despicable Me 3

Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin | United States | 2017 | 90 min

Former villain Gru has a problem. He let the most wanted villain in the world slip through his fingers and as a result got fired from the Anti-Villain League. On top of all that, his Minions are becoming more and more dissatisfied and his youngest daughter Agnes wants a – just imagine it – real unicorn. And what’s more, Gru finds out that he has an identical twin brother. Except for the hair.
But let’s get back to the villain who outsmarted Gru. To his own disappointment, the forgotten child star of an 80s TV show, Balthazar Bratt, was not able to put up with the fact that his career has ended and since then he just causes harm. Gru’s brother Dru, on the other hand, is much more likeable. He is an incredibly friendly and nice guy who most of all wants his brother to reveal the secrets of being a villain to him. But Gru’s villain days are over and the only reason he’s willing to do that is to protect his loved ones.
Even though the main storyline is unexceptional, it is spiced up with a number of sub-plots and pop-culture references. This family comedy with distinct 80s stylization and slightly absurd humour will please mainly children as the Minions are once again in the spotlight. The grown-ups will appreciate the film’s 3D animation, visual inventiveness and detailed settings.

Paddington 2

Paul King | United Kingdom, France | 2017 | 103 min | CS

British director and screenwriter Paul King returned to the stories of the found bear Paddington by Michael Bond and adapted another adventure of this plush fuzzball in a red hat for the big screen.
Having settled with his adoptive family, the Browns, Paddington – originally from Peru – has become popular in his community. He gets a job in order to make money for a present for his aunt Lucy, who longs to see London. He discovers a pop-up book of London in an antique shop, but he’s unfortunately not the only one who would like to get his hands on this rarity. The other one is a failed actor named Phoenix Buchanan (played by master of disguise Hugh Grant) and Paddington unjustly winds up in prison. He will experience dramatic pursuits, a prison escape, humorously written slapstick-like situations and a tour of London. His quest is visually supplemented by amazing artistic ideas, magical archive footage and an originally animated pop-up book.

 

Insects

Jan Švankmajer | Czech Republic, Slovakia | 2018 | 98 min

A small-town pub after hours, the chairs are upside down on the tables. On the hanger are “insect dresses”: crepe paper skirts, colourful cardboard butterfly wings and black shiny insect elytra. At a table in the corner of the room are seated six local amateur theatre enthusiasts: the director, Růžena, Mr. Václav, Mr. Borovička, railroader Kopřiva and Miss Jitka. Tulák is at home because of his sciatica. The Dor Beetle and Pupa haven’t arrived yet. As the rehearsal of the play From the Life of Insects by the Čapek brothers progresses, the actors find themselves living out the lives of their characters. The director – Cricket – tortures his wife’s lover, Mr. Václav. Mr. Kopřiva, playing the role of Parasite, eats Miss Jitka – Larva. Mr. Borovička literally transforms into a dung beetle and leaves his human form behind. The characters of the play are born and die with no regard to time. Everything is set against the backdrop of Čapek’s play where insects behave like people and people like insects.

“From the Life of Insects is a misanthropic play. My screenplay only extends this misanthropy, as man is more like an insect and this civilisation is more like an anthill. One should also remember the message in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis,” stated Jan Švankmajer.

Coco

Lee Unkrich | United States | 2017 | 105 min

Little Miguel dreams of becoming a popular musician. But everyone from his wonderful loving family is against it. It’s because his irresponsible great-great-grandfather left his wife and daughter Coco to pursue a career in music and never returned. Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco renounced music and everything related to it and the whole family – out of respect for her – supports her. But little Miguel won’t give up. On the Day of the Dead, he unexpectedly finds himself in the realm of the dead where he meets his late ancestors.
Excellent computer animation and graphics, an elaborate script with an abundance of allusions to Mexican life and culture from Frida Kahlo to the Mexican wrestler and trash-films star El Santo ranks this film among the best films ever made by Pixar. Its authors successfully and naturally captured the spiritual element of the Mexican folklore tradition of celebrating the dead. The mystery of death is addressed very tastefully and the film also conveys the message that death is a natural part of life.

Early Man

Nick Park | United Kingdom, France | 2018 | 88 min

The story of the animated comedy Early Man is set in prehistoric times when mammoths roamed the Earth and people valued their home caves. After successful films such as Creature Comforts, Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, British studio Aardman Animations with Academy Award-winning director Nick Park comes with a film about the clash of civilisations.
Meet Dug, a typical fearless hero who along with his four-legged friend Hognob has to save his tribe and beloved home. It was invaded by Lord Nooth and the Bronze Age army. Dug finds himself in the middle of enemy territory and in despair, he challenges Lord Nooth to a match in a strange game where two opposing sides chase an inflated ball made of skin. The future of his tribe is at stake and Dug has only one chance: to learn how to play football with ten equally clumsy cavemen and defeat the elite club Real Bronzio. Will the Stone Age win over the Bronze Age?
Apart from challenges for animators of the hand-made clay cavemen dressed in pelts (hair is an extremely unyielding material for animation) and the preparation of 40 settings ranging from a primeval rainforest through arid volcano landscape to the magnificent Bronze Age City, the authors had a very difficult task ahead of themselves. They wanted to make a stop-motion football match along with its atmosphere and crowd cheering as if it was shot in a live-action film.