Riverdance: The Animated Adventure

Best family film in a long time! So full of good lessons, colorful scenery, funny jokes and, of course, great dancing. It really touched my husband and I, too, and we both remarked that it's better than some adult films with its themes and careful treatment of children's emotions. Timely film about losing a grandparent, as it's been a tough two years for so many. The film knew exactly when to hit you then give you a release with a joke. So many animated films don't take kids seriously. They assume kids want pop music and cliche stories like all those studio sequels telling the same story again and again. We watched Hotel T 4, Pets 2 and Sing 2 recently, and they just felt like big studios stealing money from kids. It's nice that Netflix is fighting against that with something understated but more powerful. We loved the fairy tale aspect, the interesting designs everywhere and the epic music. We haven't seen the live show, but now we must!

Riverdance is the perfect balance between heartfelt and lighthearted. The whole family will enjoy this movie, with its great soundtrack, wonderful choreography, and compelling story. It's the perfect introduction to Irish folklore and dance for younger generations who might not have heard of the stage show.

I was wondering why there was an animated Riverdance. I was confused as to how an animated set of dancers could ever hold a candle to the real thing. I find out that they can't. And let's not discount the tired old "beloved family member must die" in order to set our intrepid dancers on their story line. I'd say was disappointing, but it was pretty much exactly as expected.