An award-winning stop-motion animated film chock full of positive, important messages. Messages are told in a clear way without having them hit you over the head with them. Delivered in a way in which they are easy to receive. Even Mice Belong in Heaven, directed by Denisa Grimmova (first feature film) and Jan Bubenicek (Murderous Tales), is a film aimed at kids but certainly one which adults will also enjoy.
Bigger than opposites are mortal enemies. Foxes eat mice. Mice fear foxes. That is the way it has always been. Whizzy (voiced by Simona Berman – from television’s Pokemon) is a young mouse and she has a legit reason to be fearful. She saw her beloved dad killed right before her eyes by a fox when he stepped in to save his daughter. Since that day Whizzy has been labeled as a chicken. As such she hasn’t been able to make many friends in life and is an outsider within the mouse community.
As such Whizzy one day goes too far trying to prove she is not a coward. This risky behaviour leads to Whizzy’s death. After realizing she is in heaven Whizzy decides to try and find her father (voiced by Ryan Andes – appeared in episodes of television’s The Blacklist and You). In the meantime, Whizzy runs into a young fox. Initially scared, because he proves himself to be different than most of his species, Whizzy and the fox become fast friends.
The two continue to look for Whizzy’s father as their bond grows. Even after they are told they are going to return to Earth. Each shows the value of friendship when they make a surprising decision to remain together.
The power of friendship being able to overcome almost everything. Lessons about life being all about perspective. The film is full of cute stop-motion animated characters who learn some of the most important lessons in life. You will not be able to dislike any of the 80 minutes here. It is filled with charm and easily digestible lessons for young and old about friendship, life, death, hope, courage, and prejudice getting in the way.
Though the film brings forward a story which is kind of old hat but what it does bring to the table which is rather fresh is its unblinking look at death. That does not happen often in regards to films aimed at kids. Here it is rather unblinking. Yet does not portray it as something to be scared of.