Review: ‘Snowtime!’ and its snow fort collapse into a snowy mess
The Canadian animated feature “Snowtime!” tries to be many things — an anti-war parable, an adolescent romance, a kids’ adventure, a hip musical — but directors Jean-François Pouliot and François Brisson fail to organize the material into a coherent story or strike a consistent emotional tone.
It’s winter vacation, and a gang of kids led by reluctant “general” Luke (Angela Gallupo) launches a snowball war against another group led by newcomer Sophie (Lucinda Davis). An assault on an elaborate snow fort escalates until Cleo the Saint Bernard is killed by a collapsing wall, teaching everyone a Life Lesson.
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“Snowtime!” is a remake of André Mélançon’s 1984 live action film “La Guerre des Tuques,” but the new version never gels. The characters remain underdeveloped, a problem complicated by the weightless, unexpressive animation. The odd shifts in tone only exacerbate the story problems. As the children mourn Cleo, recalling how she loved to eat and chase snowballs, Chuck (Don Shepherd) adds, “Her farts were the smelliest.”
In the original film, the phrase “La guerre, la guerre, c’est pas une raison pour se faire mal!” (“War, war, it’s no reason to harm each other!”) became a rallying cry against the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It’s unlikely a new generation of viewers will adopt a phrase from “Snowtime!” as a motto.
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‘Snowtime!’
MPAA rating: PG, for mild thematic elements and rude humor
Running time: 1 hour, 22 minutes
Playing: In limited release
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