Introduction
Hello, fellow adventurers! Blaziker is for Part 2 of the Annecy Festival Rundown. It’s time to continue our Annecy adventure, shall we?
The first movie, Iron Boy, is about a young boy in a rural French village who wears an iron corset as a solution to prevent leaning over uncontrollably, and finds himself passionate about a few things, including music, meeting a new friend or causing some mischief. Considering some of the movies featuring at thisi year’s Annecy Film Festival also got their debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Iron Boy’s high 3.9 Letterboxd score is something worth celebrating, especially given how tough the Cannes crowd can be. Is this movie worthy of that praise?
The second movie, Julian, is the newest Cartoon Saloon movie about a New York kid who not only learnt about his heritage, but he also has a feeling he is a mermaid. To say that Cartoon Saloon is one of the most important animation studios in the world when it comes to bringing in hand-drawn animation to the big screen would be an understatement, and a movie worth queuing for, which was exactly what I did as I was unable to reserve a spot there. Will this movie deliver on my high expectations?
The third movie, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa, is a New Zealand stop-motion flick about two dinosaurs of different species forced to band together as they discover they may be made for each other despite their differences. This was a last minute substitution for some of the movies I was not able to get a reservation to, but this movie intrigues me as this is a stop-motion flick from the same country that produced one of the best family-friendly foreign CG animated movies in existence with Mosley.
The fourth movie, Tana, focuses on a musician who returns to her hometown of Inner Mongolia to take care of her ill father, when she came across a fairy who guide her through a journey of memory, music, and her home. Just like Kiri and Lou, this was yet another animated movie I had not intended to see, but here I was,
The fifth movie, Muyi, is an animated movie about a girl who came across an ancient helmet that belongs to a mythical war hero, uncovering terrible secrets regarding her birth. I was excited to cover yet another animated movie that has been on my Letterboxd watchlist for some time now, and now that I got to see my first Contrechamp movie at Annecy this year, will this movie deliver?
The sixth and final movie, The Sunrise File, is about a Mossad agent who goes on a discovery to find the fate of former Nazi executioners. Well, I have to be honest, I was not planning to see this movie, especially considering the subject matter, and that I am seeing this while the world is still in the middle of the Gaza crisis. It seems this may not be the right choice for me, but is this the case?
Let’s continue our Annecy adventure, shall we?
Iron Boy
Key Information
- Director: Louis Clichy
- Animation Studios: Eddy Cinema, Besides Production and Regular Production
- Country of Origin: France and Belgium
- Rating: PG
- Annecy Screening Date: 23 June 2026 (At Bonlieu)
The Review
I did not expect much since this was a non-reserved screening of mine, but I am not only pleasantly surprised by Iron Boy, but it kind of moved me to a certain extent.
Despite its simple and down-to-earth story, taking place in a French town in the late 1980s, the movie is full of emotion and depth as not only do you emphasize with Christophe (Paul Clichy) having to deal with his new life in the iron corset, how he adapts to this limitation through new interactions is cheerful and emotionally powerful. You also feel with him as he deals with growing up, especially with his father, with whom he has a troubled relationship, is amazing. This is a movie that takes its time to develop its story and its characters, resulting in a rich story that has a life of its own.
The animation is also something to behold, as despite the simple-feeling animation style, it really felt like a painting, as this is a watercolour-style hand-drawn animation crafted with so much love and quality. I was captivated by how much the animation flows super well with the story, and it felt less like an animated movie and more like a series of paintings with a strong story attached. This is what makes animation a powerful medium, as you can showcase different art styles within animation, and Iron Boy proves that point well.
The soundtrack is very good, especially considering there are a lot of organ tracks that relate to Christophe learning to play the church organ, a very important plot point that I will leave it at that. As for my level of enjoyment, there are a few animated movies that I love more than Iron Boy, but that does not mean I do not like this movie at all; in fact, this is on the contrary, as I felt very connected with the overall animated movie. I did not expect this movie to be such a surprise, but that was exactly what happened with Iron Boy.
Having seen this movie, I can understand the hype it is getting at this year’s Annecy Film Festival. This is basically one of the most surprising animated movies I covered at the festival, with a simplistic beauty beneath the story and animation style despite living through a brace. Keep an eye out for this hidden gem!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Julian
Key Information
- Director: Louise Bagnall
- Animation Studio: Cartoon Saloon, Folvari and Melusine Productions
- Country of Origin: Ireland, UK, Canada, Luxembourg, Denmark
- Rating: PG13
- Annecy Screening Date: 24 June 2026 (at Pathe Annecy)
The Review
Well, let’s get the obvious out of the way: the Cartoon Saloon faithfully shall be rewarded!
Julian is a movie that is Cartoon Saloon at its absolute best, telling rich stories that enchant its target family-friendly audience as well as passionate animation fans who love the studio, like myself. While not set in Ireland, unlike most of their movies, Julian is an animated movie rich with its storytelling, as its queer story about a boy who identifies himself differently, while also showcasing heart-breaking implications about it really shocked me. This is an animated movie with mature themes that Cartoon Saloon successfully incorporates into such a family-friendly animated movie. I am certain those within the LGBTQ+ community would either go through similar events or resonate with Julian himself. It also helped that the cast of characters all contributed to this tender and heartfelt story, and I am certain a lot of moviegoers would connect with some of them.
As for the animation, I am happy to report that this is Cartoon Saloon at its absolute best. They still remain as one of the last bastions of hand-drawn animation, and the craft showcased in this movie’s animation shows. The animation is rich in detail and filled with boundless energy, making such a fantastic and captivating experience that shows why we still need 2D hand-drawn animation in 2026.
The soundtrack, just like everything else, is fantastic, and as for my level of enjoyment, considering Cartoon Saloon is having a bit of a downturn, I am happy to report I fell in love with Cartoon Saloon once again with Julian. This is one of my most favourite animated movies of 2026 due to how near-perfect this was, and honestly, I would not be surprised if Julian gets a shot at getting nominated at the Oscars with this one.
In conclusion, I am happy to report that with Julian, Cartoon Saloon is finally back at their A-game, and with them producing their next movie Kindred Spirits currently, let’s hope Cartoon Saloon continues their hot streak with their next movie!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!
The Review
I was not expecting much, but I like this movie!
Despite its short 60-minute runtime and simple story, Kiri and Lou is a fun and playful animated movie, with the writing being solid despite such a short runtime. The characters are a lot of fun to bond with, and the pacing does not feel rushed in spite of the runtime, which is not something you see every day with dinosaur-centric animated movies, as most are not great. Thankfully, Kiri and Lou is a great exception to this rule.
The animation is also quite cute. While fairly simple, that does not matter because it was a well-crafted Aardman-style claymation stop-motion that, like Julian, is well done. The animation is of great quality and plays to its claymation quirkiness to the fullest degree. It is not the most expressive animation I had seen, but considering the studio’s first attempt, the animation is not too shabby for a debutant.
The musical numbers, while fairly simple, are not too annoying, and I had a good time listening to them. As for my level of enjoyment, despite being one of the smaller animated movies being showcased at this event, Kiri and Lou is filled with so much heart and dedication that I do not mind this movie despite how simple it is.
Overall, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa is a cute and fun animated movie that, while not as impactful, still plays a role in providing a palate cleanser between the heavy hitters at Annecy this year. Let’s hope we get more dinosaur-centric animated movies as fun and decent quality as this one.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Tana
Key Information
- Directors: Zhao Ji and Keer Zhu
- Animation Studio: AnywhereDoor Productions
- Country of Origin: China
- Rating: PG
- Annecy Screening Date: 24 June 2026 (at Bonlieu)
The Review
As someone who has covered a lot of Chinese animated movies, I can be quite harsh with those movies, as we are getting Chinese animated movies that are so much better compared to those from some of the other countries. While Tana might not reach the same level as the likes of Ne Zha 2 and Nobody from last year, it is still a great animated movie!
While the story might be familiar, the writing is very good, and you connect with the story and its characters almost immediately. This is especially so, considering this is an animated movie about a city girl connecting with her father after years of discord with each other, as well as stories about traditional Mongolian music and youth, resulting in an animated movie that feels captivating and well-paced throughout the movie’s near 2-hour runtime.
The animation, like most top-tier Chinese animated movies, is fantastic. I should not be surprised considering this is produced by former animators of Light Chaser Animation Studio (aka the studio behind the White Snake movies, Chang An and last year’s Curious Tales of a Temple), so the animation felt lively and expressive. While this is another photorealistic CG animated movie, the animation style itself is not too jarring and instead felt interesting and high-quality, especially when the movie changes up its animation style from time to time with relative ease.
With a movie like Tana, the soundtrack is very important, and honestly, I would like to listen to the entire Tana soundtrack because the mixture of rock and traditional Mongolian music is something to behold. As for my level of enjoyment, while there are other Chinese animated movies I liked more than Tana, it is nevertheless a great animated movie that I vibe with.
Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with this movie. Tana might not be close to the very best of Chinese animation, but the emotional connection, great animation, and a top-tier soundtrack won me over. Highly recommend this one!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Muyi
Key Information
- Director: Juien Chheng
- Animation Studio: Studio La Cachette
- Country of Origin: France
- Rating: PG
- Annecy Screening Date: 25 June 2026 (at Cinema de la Cite)
The Review
Given Muyi is a movie that has been on my watchlist for some time, I was excited to see this movie, but unfortunately, I was kind of let down by this movie if I were to be honest.
I think my biggest problem is that there are certain moments where the story lacks the cohesion it needs to bring this movie together. There is a lack of emotional connection in certain parts of the story, which can alienate certain moviegoers quite quickly. It also resulted in me losing the emotional core of this story, and while the ending makes up for it, the fact that the story lost its steam was what keep me from enjoying this movie outright.
This movie is still within a level of redemption because the animation is pretty spectacular, especially from a first-time animation studio. The animation combines the art style from Chinese paintings and brings it to the hand-drawn animation aspect, which, while nothing new, makes the animation style quite interesting. Unfortunately, the writing weakens the animation quality and my enjoyment to some extent.
It is such a shame that I did not like Muyi that much, as while the animation is creative, the lack of emotional connection in the writing is what makes it a disappointment for me. It probably relied too much on its animation to lift the movie, and that resulted in an overall experience that felt too cold and calculated for my liking.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
The Sunrise File
Key Information
- Directors: Rupert Wyatt and Emilie Phuong
- Animation Studios: Superprod Animation and Melusine Productions
- Country of Origin: Canada and United States
- Rating: PG
- Annecy Screening Date: 25 June 2026 (at Pathe Annecy)
The Review
One of my biggest animated movie disappointments of 2024 is They Shot the Piano Player, an animated documentary that left me cold due to the lack of cohesion in the writing and the weird animation style that feels more like style over substance. That was unfortunately the same feeling I had with The Sunrise File.
First off, there were certain elements in the writing that do not make sense, like considering this is based on real-life events, the movie takes from the perspective of someone that was not directly involved in the manhunt of Klaus Barbie. Why would you tell the story from that perspective instead of focusing on the main people responsible for conducting the manhunt in the first place? This resulted in a story that lacks a lot of emotional connection and cohesion, while also making the story rather derivative.
Secondly, and more importantly, the animation style is quite… weird, if I were to say that. The animation utilises CG animation for the most part, but the animation style feels quite rotoscoped, but not in a good way. It feels quite uncanny and just do not have the personal touch which resulted in a confusing animation style with an identity crisis.
The one redeeming element this movie has is the soundtrack. I find the soundtrack quite interesting to listen to, and it is the only part of the movie I cared about. As for my level of enjoyment, this movie just left me cold with how much the writing and animation lacks the personality that makes me care about the movie in question.
Overall, The Sunrise File lacks in both style and substance to make it work despite its good intentions, resulting in such a cold and alienated experience that is not for me. Oh well…
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
To Be Continued
Overall, I had fun with most of the movies on this list, especially Julian, but I will admit, some of the animated movies, especially The Sunrise File, lacks the excitement that makes the Annecy Film Festival a well-loved festival to begin with.
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. We still got one more set of Annecy Film Festival animated movies to get through, so tune in next time as we complete our Annecy adventure. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
Leave a Reply