The storyline follows a father and son astronaut team traveling in a spaceship that has mechanical issues and is forced to land on a planet inhabited by strange, but friendly, space creatures. They find a seed of an unknown plant and try to figure out how to plant and nurture it. The father places the boy in charge of keeping it safe and the adventure begins.
This is a witty and entertaining film that teaches important lessons. The story line is very imaginative and easy to follow. It presents the dynamics between parents and kids along with the importance of not disturbing the universe, even if it is just a little seed. The filmmakers met the challenge of making a film entirely with puppets. While at times you can see the puppeteers, it does not detract from the essence of the film. All the puppets are extremely cute and well suited to the story line.
The materials used to create the spaceship and the planet are all very imaginative. They help make the story fun. The background music is original and very catchy. It definitely drive the pace of the film. My hat's off to director, Annie Cusick Wood, who was the Artistic Director of POLKA Theatre in London for five years before moving to Hawaii and collaborating with Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) as a director and playwright. My favorite part of the film is the scene when the boy finds himself in a hole with cute and friendly space creatures that jump and tickle him.
The film really has two messages -- that parents should listen to their kids and that plants benefit the whole ecosystem and should not be removed from their habitat. That's a good message that relates to ecological issues on Earth as well.
I give The Tiny Tree 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 7, plus adults. Reviewed by Pam L., KIDS FIRST!
The storyline follows a father and son astronaut team traveling in a spaceship that has mechanical issues and is forced to land on a planet inhabited by strange, but friendly, space creatures. They find a seed of an unknown plant and try to figure out how to plant and nurture it. The father places the boy in charge of keeping it safe and the adventure begins.
This is a witty and entertaining film that teaches important lessons. The story line is very imaginative and easy to follow. It presents the dynamics between parents and kids along with the importance of not disturbing the universe, even if it is just a little seed. The filmmakers met the challenge of making a film entirely with puppets. While at times you can see the puppeteers, it does not detract from the essence of the film. All the puppets are extremely cute and well suited to the story line.
The materials used to create the spaceship and the planet are all very imaginative. They help make the story fun. The background music is original and very catchy. It definitely drive the pace of the film. My hat's off to director, Annie Cusick Wood, who was the Artistic Director of POLKA Theatre in London for five years before moving to Hawaii and collaborating with Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) as a director and playwright. My favorite part of the film is the scene when the boy finds himself in a hole with cute and friendly space creatures that jump and tickle him.
The film really has two messages -- that parents should listen to their kids and that plants benefit the whole ecosystem and should not be removed from their habitat. That's a good message that relates to ecological issues on Earth as well.
I give The Tiny Tree 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 7, plus adults. Reviewed by Pam L., KIDS FIRST!
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