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Highly Overrated But Still Good

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

"The First Snow of Winter" is a 28-minute animated short film from 1998, so this one has its 20th anniversary next year. It was written and directed by Graham Ralph and it is quite possibly his most known work. I watched this now in early February, where the appropriate title would rather be "The Last Snow of Winter", but it doesn't really matter. This film can be appreciated during any time of the year really. I think there is no real greatness here, but goodness in every area and corner. The voice acting is solid as well as the soundtrack. The animation certainly looks 15-20 years older than late 1990s, but this adds just to the charm and simplicity of the whole thing. The story is really by the books in terms of the inclusion of the main character, his friends, his family and the antagonist. Maybe the other little bird did not do too much for me, even if I like the species. But Sean and Voley sure were great fun together and honestly, I really hoped towards the end that Voley would be alive. Of course, he would be, it's a kids film after all. How could I have doubts for a second. This is a charming little movie for sure and I liked it. Thumbs up, go let your kids see it and maybe, just maybe, you will enjoy it as well. Or maybe it will even bring back some amazing memories to you.

I can't praise this little short film enough. It is sweet, heart warming and charming, and teaches good messages about friendship, survival and danger. The animation is cute and lively, with lovely colours and backgrounds and the character animation is top notch. I loved the music score too, it has an Irish lilt to it and it worked wonders. The story is a simple but heart warming one, the scripting is surprisingly mature and the characters especially Sean and Puffy are adorable. Also superb is the voice acting, with Miriam Margoyles superb as Sean and Dermot Morgan terrific as wise old Voley. Kate Sachs brings vulnerability also to the character of Puffy. I loved "The First Snow of Winter" from beginning to end, it is a lovely, simple, timeless story that the whole family can cherish. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I thought Voley, a vole, was drawn too big for a vole until I saw a site about a species (Arvicola terrestris) that is about the right size (bigger then a cat) and lives in England.About the film, I liked the animation, story line, direction, and voice acting (especialy the accents!) and will serve as an inspiration for my future media projects (animation, childrens books/video, nature filmmaking, web design)

This animated story about Sean McDuck is well written and well made. The drawings are sweet and lively, especially the Irish dancing part. A must see for all ages.