What a Crazy, Quirky, Funny Adventure! Albert Up, Up and Away
Inspired by the beloved children’s book, Albert by Ole Lund Kirkegaard, this lively, animated tale whisks you on a journey that has to be seen to be believed! Albert is a smart and cheeky boy, but his taste for mischievous pranks make him a menace in his small hometown. When he accidentally destroys the statue of a local hero and famous hot-air balloon captain, Albert is determined to make up for his mistake. He decides to venture into the world with his best friend Egon and return as a hot-air balloon captain himself! But Albert and Egon’s quest takes a detour when a mean bandit takes advantage of the clueless boys to help him steal the world’s largest diamond. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ryan R. comments, “Albert Up, Up, and Away! is a cute animated DVD for younger kids that delivers positive messages about friendship, kindness and making smart choices.”
Albert Up, Up and Away
Reviewed by Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Albert Up, Up, and Away! is a cute animated DVD for younger kids that delivers positive messages about friendship, kindness and making smart choices. The story revolves around two best friends, Albert and Egon and the adventures they share. Not an average kid Albert learned to walk and talk at two months old. He has a tenacity for getting into trouble but never on purpose. His parents knew he would change the world one day. Years pass and Albert decides he wants get an air balloon and become its captain so he can replace the statue that he accidentally destroyed when he was younger. His best friend Egon wants to become a pirate captain. However, a mean bandit takes advantage of the bewildered boys and wants them to help him steal the world’s biggest diamond. Together they have to face this obstacle while their adventure develops.
This is a good film. The animation is well done but I found myself comparing it to other animated and it scores about average. I liked it although the storyline was too predictable for me, and the pace a bit slow. It is definitely better suited for a much younger audience. I recommend it for ages 3 to 7. It has good, clean humor and lots of action scenes, which younger kids would enjoy.
The menu offers scene selection, trailers and setup. Or you can just play the film. I enjoyed the scene selection feature because it makes it easy to return to where you left off. I enjoyed the trailer because it filled me in on what the movie looks like and gave me the general idea about the film before I started watching it.
I give this film 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it to people who like action, adventure and children films. It is now available now on DVD so, so go check it out.
Albert Up, Up And Away!
By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11
I found this movie to be very cute, quirky and funny. At first this movie reminded me of Dennis the Menace as it starts off in super hyper mood, but as the movie moves forward Albert calms down. I found this movie to be very cute, quirky and funny.
I loved the graphics and all the detail that went into creating the village scenes. It is crisp and clear and has incredible dimension to it. I re-watched the scene when Albert flies down a hillside in a barrel several times because it is so amazing and laughable.
The characters are like most kids their age. You can see yourself hanging out with them. Albert is my favorite because of his great heart and his willingness to tackle anything, to do the right thing and make people happy. He is very trusting which gets him into all kinds of trouble. This makes him a believable kid because, really we all want to trust people and believe that they are all good at heart. Unfortunately, there are bad people in the world that muck it all up.
When they set out to find another statue for the town, their adventure begins and we meet new characters and find Albert getting into the middle of a diamond heist with pirates. The pirates amused me with their comedic lines. They reminded me of vaudeville comedy. You wanted to shout “boo” whenever you saw them. They are the villains you love to hate. You can tell what they are planning and I found myself yelling at the screen, “Albert don’t do it!”
The street market is full of rides, food and games. It made me think of summer and I wanted to join in on the fun. One of the many lessons learned here is “do not steal.” It’s a great lesson everyone should learn. Also, I know that it is hard for children to know who to trust and who not to. Another less is “you can’t trust everyone you meet.” Friendship is very valuable as friends can help you out. Last lesson: If you make a mistake, just admit it and have an adult help you figure out a solution.
This was a very funny film with lots of lessons and laughs. I love that this was released in countries other than the United States such as Denmark. They use words which are not in our everyday vocabulary such as cheeky, which is my new favorite word. I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18 and give it 4.5 out of 5 hot air balloon stars. It is quirky and funny and a cute comedy – sure to make you laugh out loud!