I watched this a lot when I was younger, like 2-4. It both entertained me and scared me. I'm not sure wether or not I'd recommend this. Its a good animation and story, but its also a bit odd. Also, I only watched it in the French translation. I don't speak French.

Kirikou is by far one of the most unique characters I have yet to come across in a film or a book. For one, who ever heard of a baby that decided on his own that he was ready to come out from his mother's womb? In addition, Kirkou has a mind of his own and makes it his goal to get rid of the sorceress. However, I think it was very wise for the writer of this film to ensure that once Kirikou found the reason for the Karaba's agony and sufferings, Kirokou then understood them to be accidental and had to put an end to them. The graphics were beyond belief beautiful and the personality of each character were spot on. Karaba had a mystical voice which sounded purely evil and her hair was not unlike that of Medusa's. The warthog was also greatly reminiscent of Pumba from the The Lion King. Kirikou's journeys through the ground and around the mountain were nonetheless entertaining. His antics of camouflaging as a bird and constantly asking "but why?" were warming. The illustrations of the different sizes of the women was greatly acknowledged, for it is well known that women come in all shapes and sizes. The tree that was put into the forest by Karaba was much like the Tree of Good and Evil in the book of Genesis, representing temptation at its finest. I especially enjoyed the lessons put forth in the film, particularly from the grandfather.If you enjoyed this film, I highly suggest you check out The Secret of Kells. It's an animated fantasy about a boy who discovers the Irish Book of Kells, which does in fact exist.

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a delightful story of an unlikely hero whose confidence and quick wit enables him to overcome the evil in his village. Although quite small, Kirikou comes into the world with a sense of optimism that can only come from his pure innocence. He begins asking his mother questions then makes decisions that he will help his village become a better place. He is able to convince everyone in the village that he is strong and clever all while enduring their taunts about how small he is. He also is noticed by the Karaba, the Sorceress, as a threat to her and orders her fetishes to watch him. Kirikou finds out from his mother that only his Grandfather knows why Karaba is "so mean and evil". Kirikou's journey to get to the mountain to find his Grandfather becomes a series of challenges that we hear him think through and endure. Along the way, Kirikou earns the trust and admiration of forest creatures that are able to overcome their own fears and help him. Once he finds his grandfather, he learns the source of Karaba's evil and that his own strength is within him and he has carried it all along. My favorite quote was from Grandfather, he told Kirikou that "you will always find people that want to harm you no matter how good you are to them, as water will drown you and fire will burn you".This type of story has been told hundreds of time, in many cultures, over many generations. In my generation, this story of overcoming evil by finding the strength within was told through The Wizard of Oz and a variety of Walt Disney feature films. Unlike all of those, Kirikou and the Sorceress takes on a more traditional folktale approach to telling the story. The story told through the eyes of a child, retains its innocence by using simple illustrations and the music serves to enhance the narration instead of foretelling the story as it moves along. The artistic interpretation of what is good and what is evil makes the entire movie flow and would be very easy for a child to understand. With wisdom beyond his years and the ability to forgive, Kirikou is more of a man than all others in the village. Those two were both misunderstood and found a mutual respect and understanding that no other would be able to provide them. Although I initially found the ending to be odd, as I thought about it, it was perfectly fitting.As with any movie, it is important for parents to review it first before sharing with young children. The story is beautiful and perfectly suitable for kids; however, cultural differences may cause some discomfort with the nudity. I found it tasteful and an opportunity for an open family discussion.

I felt that the animated film Kirikou and the Sorceress, directed by Michel Ocelot, and was an enjoyable film. Ocelot does a great job portraying African culture in a fun and traditional manner.This culturally rich African folklore presents a classical hero story which was great because of the unique manner in which it was presented. Although the film was your typical hero story, it was the introduction of an unlikely hero that first got me. Little baby Kirikou, fresh out of the womb; lighting quick and very wise is what first took me out of my comfort zone. In addition to our hero being a naked infant, all the characters run around topless which wasn't bad thing, just different. The movie was very simple and yet very complex at the same time. Simplistically speaking it was the actual story line, the graphics, the communication between characters it all very direct meaning if there was a problem the character would state the problem and then how he should fix it, which made the story easy to follow. The colors in this film made it clear how you were suppose to feel. With technology and the evil sorceress being represented in dark colors and culture, tradition seen as the village represented in light colors and fun music. I felt the complexity lied in the overall message the movie was trying to convey and by many people this message could be interpreted in different ways.Overall I enjoyed the movie because it conveyed a serious message in a fun and entertaining manner. As I stated before, the movie was culturally different for me but this unique experience also kept the movie exciting. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes anime-folklore films or almost any Disney fan of any type because I felt this film had a strong "Disney" element to it. Disney element, basically meaning the film was friendly and the manner in which they told their story was cute and fun.