Director: Noel Cleary
Distributor: Kinepolis Film Distribution
Duration: 88 minutes
Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb (VOD) – Movie Review
Studio 100, as an animation studio has been doing well, making children’s entertainment for the international market these days as opposed to just for Belgium. The emporium grew over time and a few years ago it added Studio 100 Film to their subsidiaries, specifically to make movies. This caused them to release a show and two full-length animated movies based on the classic character, Maya the Bee, originally a German creation. Today we’re looking at the third movie in the series: Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb. Once more the mischievous Maya and her friend Willy set out on a child-friendly adventure across their green meadows.
As is the norm for Maya’s adventure, the story starts with the little bee named Maya (Coco Jack Gillies) and her best friend Willy (Benson Jack Anthony) getting in trouble. While a crisis is narrowly averted, the hive is partly destroyed and the other bees are getting sick of these antics. After some deliberation, the Queen (Justine Clarke) considers splitting the two up to avoid further hijinks, which Maya and Willy overhear. They decide to prove their worth by setting out across the meadow, and of course, they immediately stumble into new trouble.
This time, they are asked by a strange ant to carry the titular golden orb towards their mountain colony far away. They’re helped out by the comedic bug duo Arnie and Barney (David Collins and Shane Dundas). The orb soon hatches to reveal it was actually an egg and the baby ant inside is the next princess. Along the way they’re chased by a gang of beetles led by the scary Rumba (Frances Berry), who seek to kidnap the princess and throw the ants’ colony into chaos so they no longer have to share the mountain, leading to all kinds of strange and humorous situations.
As is to be expected from a kids’ movie, the plot progresses pretty quickly and with minimal side tangents. Shorter scenes of dialogue are intercut with plenty of slapstick and humor to keep your children entertained and there are even a few musical numbers, much to our amusement. Overall, while not the most complex plot, even for a movie aimed at younger audiences, it serves its task at keeping the little ones entertained, while straying far enough away from becoming annoying for adults who are forced to watch along. Since you don’t need any context from the previous movies to watch either, it is a great standalone feature for all ages.
The voice acting as well isn’t bad. The original cast is back to reprise their roles, putting their all into bringing the needed charm to these lively characters. But what stands out, even more, is the crisp animation, really showcasing how far 3D animation has come. And; how much better it is when they stick to the more cartoony style instead of trying to make things look hyperrealistic. Everything is colorful and adorable, popping off the screen in delightful ways as it scurries around well-crafted backgrounds. So, even if the child-oriented plot bores you, at least the movie is a feast for the eyes.
As a digital title, Maya The Bee – The Golden Orb did not come with any extras. Going by past DVD releases by this studio, however, we can guess there’ll be some trailers included and maybe a music clip or two for the songs from the movie. Since they’re surprisingly catchy, it’s something to look forward to.
Conclusion
This movie is an enjoyable journey into the nostalgic world of Maya the Bee. While not attempting anything groundbreaking, it can be refreshing in its own merit to have a movie be content to provide exactly what the audience expects from it: entertainment for young kids, and something bearable to watch for adults.
Maya the Bee - The Golden Orb (VOD) - Movie Review,
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