This animated adventure was a huge hit in France and Spain, where it spawned a mountain of merchandise and a PlayStation game. Easy to see why, as it's a witty little 'toon starring one of the cutest animated characters in recent memory.
Kirikou's a teeny-tiny, 10-second-old baby boy who crawls out of his mother's womb in a giant fit of pique then goes gallivanting off into the African jungle to do battle with an evil sorceress. Armed with nothing more than guile, ingenuity and an unfeasibly big mouth, this bare-arsed babe may be small in size, but he's very, very wise.
Based on an African folk tale, this is the perfect antidote to The Lion King's vision of a native-less savannah, with plenty of beautifully drawn characters, a sexy villainess and some hilarious-but-inept evil "fetishes" thrown in for comic relief. Utterly enthralling, Kirikou And The Sorceress may be modest by Hollywood standards, but it has an enormous heart. Disney, please take note.
