"The Storm Whale" Review: A Heartwarming but Imperfect Tale of Friendship and Release
In this adaptation of Benji Davies' 2013 picture book, director Matt Aston brings to life the story of Noi, a young boy who befriends a washed-up whale and must decide whether to keep it as a companion. The film is a poignant exploration of loneliness, friendship, and the importance of human connection.
Visually, "The Storm Whale" is a treat, with beautifully rendered scenes of the seaside and its quirky inhabitants. Lydia Denno's designs capture the charm of Noi's colourful home, while Sue Dacre's puppet direction brings the whale to life in all its squishy delight.
However, the film's earnest messages often feel repetitive, and the dialogue can be solemnly wearying at times. The supporting cast, including Emily Essery as Noi and Richard Lounds as his dad, are pleasant but underdeveloped. Even the imaginative flights of fancy, such as the strawberries-and-cream taste if you licked the lighthouse, feel like they're missing a bit of wilder humour to truly sparkle.
One of the standout elements is the puppetry, particularly the whale puppet made by Keith Frederick, which is a squishy delight with quivering tail and glinting eyes. The tempest that washes up the whale is beautifully choreographed by Hayley Del Harrison, and the lighting design by Jason Salvin adds an extra layer of magic to the scenes.
Despite its imperfections, "The Storm Whale" remains a heartwarming tale of friendship and release. Noi's story, sensitively told by Aston, explores how solitude need not mean loneliness, and it's a lesson that will resonate with young audiences. With a bit more wilder humour and adventure, this show would truly go down a storm. As it stands, it's a charming but imperfect tale of the power of human connection – one that will leave viewers smiling.
In this adaptation of Benji Davies' 2013 picture book, director Matt Aston brings to life the story of Noi, a young boy who befriends a washed-up whale and must decide whether to keep it as a companion. The film is a poignant exploration of loneliness, friendship, and the importance of human connection.
Visually, "The Storm Whale" is a treat, with beautifully rendered scenes of the seaside and its quirky inhabitants. Lydia Denno's designs capture the charm of Noi's colourful home, while Sue Dacre's puppet direction brings the whale to life in all its squishy delight.
However, the film's earnest messages often feel repetitive, and the dialogue can be solemnly wearying at times. The supporting cast, including Emily Essery as Noi and Richard Lounds as his dad, are pleasant but underdeveloped. Even the imaginative flights of fancy, such as the strawberries-and-cream taste if you licked the lighthouse, feel like they're missing a bit of wilder humour to truly sparkle.
One of the standout elements is the puppetry, particularly the whale puppet made by Keith Frederick, which is a squishy delight with quivering tail and glinting eyes. The tempest that washes up the whale is beautifully choreographed by Hayley Del Harrison, and the lighting design by Jason Salvin adds an extra layer of magic to the scenes.
Despite its imperfections, "The Storm Whale" remains a heartwarming tale of friendship and release. Noi's story, sensitively told by Aston, explores how solitude need not mean loneliness, and it's a lesson that will resonate with young audiences. With a bit more wilder humour and adventure, this show would truly go down a storm. As it stands, it's a charming but imperfect tale of the power of human connection – one that will leave viewers smiling.
they're so vivid and bring the seaside world to life! The puppetry is literally squishy and adorable 
especially Keith Frederick's whale puppet, it's like a big hug for your soul 
. However, I do agree with the review that the dialogue can be a bit too serious at times 
and some of the supporting characters feel a bit flat 
. Still, overall it's a heartwarming tale that leaves you feeling uplifted and inspired 
. anyway, the animation was pretty cool i guess (
. The puppetry is insane and I'm obsessed with the whale's squishy tail 
I'm all for giving it a second watch to see if I can spot more of those wilder humour touches 
and what's with the supporting cast being kinda meh? didn't we learn anything from movies like "Finding Nemo" about how to make secondary characters awesome? 
. I love how they used puppets to bring the whale to life - it's so adorable! 
But maybe add some more humor or excitement to make it even more engaging for young minds 
. Still, I think it's a lovely message about human connection and loneliness being different things 
the visuals are on point too, especially the whale puppet 
still, its a nice message about human connection being key, we could all use that 
. But what really got me was how it showed that even when things are tough, human connection can be super powerful 
. Still, overall its a lovely film that'll make you feel all the feels 
and all that jazz, but let's be real, it's just a kid watching a whale wash up on shore and deciding whether to keep it as a pet. Like, how original? And don't even get me started on the dialogue, sounds like something my grandma would say 
. I'm not sure what's more cringeworthy, the earnest messages or the way they're trying to pass off some pretty generic kids' movie tropes as deep and meaningful 
. The seaside scenes and quirky inhabitants are so beautifully done, it feels like you're right there with Noi exploring his hometown 
. And can we talk about that whale puppet for a sec? 
. But what I didn't love was how repetitive the message of loneliness and friendship felt 
. That being said, the film's still super charming, especially with Emily Essery as Noi 
️!
. I also adored the imagination and whimsy of Noi's world - who wouldn't want to lick a lighthouse for strawberries and cream? 