'Ferdinand' Is Good but Unnecessary

With the Oscars just two days away, I thought it was timely to finally check Ferdinand out, and see if it truly deserves its nomination for Best Animated Feature (which Coco will win).

Based on a children’s book, Ferdinand is about a huge bull (John Cena) who doesn’t hold the same desire as other bulls, and that is, to find glory in fighting a matador in an arena.  Instead, he dislikes violence and prefers smelling flowers.  However, after a major mishap where he’s mistaken as a fearful beast, he’s captured and prepared to be pitted against the legendary bullfighter El Primero.

Here’s my take after watching it: In This Corner of the World (though it’s possible that it didn’t qualify because it’s considered by the Academy as a 2016 film), A Silent Voice (same possible scenario with In This Corner of the World), and The Lego Batman Movie all deserved to be nominated over Ferdinand.  It’s not that it isn’t a good animated film – it is.  But the mentioned movies are simply superior.  That said, its nomination isn’t as laughably outrageous as The Boss Baby’s nomination.

Like I said, Ferdinand is a good animated film.  It’ll definitely charm young audiences, but more mature ones won’t find it remarkable.  It just doesn’t have Disney/Pixar levels of depth.  However, it does have a heartwarming albeit clichéd message.  The humor is just fine – I cracked a smile or chuckled now and then – and there are a few gags that I found clever (e.g. three Lipizzan horses insulting Ferdinand that his parents may not even be related.  Ha).  Lastly, there’s just something endearingly amusing about John Cena voicing an enormous but sensitive bovine.

In the end, I think The Story of Ferdinand – the children’s book – doesn’t really need to have a feature-length film adaptation in the first place.  A short would have sufficed – something that has already been around since 1938, Walt Disney’s Ferdinand the Bull.