Ferdinand
2017 · Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Original language: English
- animation
- family
- adventure
- comedy
The story
Ferdinand, a little bull, prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree just smelling the flowers versus jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow. But one day five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid— and Ferdinand is mistakenly chosen.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated 3D animation with sun-washed Andalusian hills, cork-oak shade and warm Madrid plazas rendered in golden daylight, the palette leaning toward ochre, terracotta and flower-pink. The camera moves with easy, rounded energy through open landscapes and busy village markets, and the frames are full of drifting petals, dusty light and cartoon texture that feels soft and tactile rather than glossy. The score is buoyant and folk-tinged, with guitar and bright horns under the comedy, and the sound design is full of bees, bleats and clattering hooves. Its vibe is warm, gentle and unhurried, a sunny Saturday-morning film that suits a family movie night, a lazy afternoon or a comfort rewatch. The pacing is brisk and jokey, with a steady stream of slapstick and animal banter, and the emotional register stays kind: a sensitive, outsider bull who would rather smell flowers than fight slowly finds his place and his people. Intensity is low: the bullring and the threatened fights bring some peril and mild, cartoonish chaos, but there is no blood or gore and the tension is brief. For families, young kids and anyone who wants something sweet, funny and easy to sit with.
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