War Game (2002) User Reviews (4)

Wonderful moving film

[matt-2855 · 9/10 · 29 March 2009]

This is more than a film about English Vs Germans. The nationality does not matter. Its a film about young men who have the same hopes and dreams caught up in something that is nothing to do with them.

Even though this is a cartoon I found it more moving than other films.

It allows you to get to know the characters and see how they turn from boys to men without loosing their boyish perception of life.

It also gives you an insight to the propaganda at home and albeit very brief insight of what it was like for the families at home.

In a short space of time it really takes you on a fantastic journey with a very moving conclusion.

It made me cry!

[Sherazade · 10/10 · 20 February 2006]

It's a beautiful look at war through the eyes or lens of a cartoonist and children. The story is so gut wrenching and centered around WWI. Three boys, two of which are brothers sign up for the army and are shipped off to war. Kate Winslet provides the voices for their bewildered mother as well as one of their sisters. During the war, the boys become men as they witness the goriness and hardship of life on the battlefield. Yet they still always remember each other, they remember love and they share that love even with their enemies. I don't mean to spoil it for anyone but when I said I cried, then you just have to imagine that it did not end well.

A nice family-friendly historical animation but I couldn't help wanting it darker and deeper

[bob the moo · 27 December 2005]

It is 1914 and a pair of brothers are happily working on their family farm and spending spare time playing football for the village in the county league. However the war with Germany means that both sign up to fight for their country and soon find themselves in the trenches on the front line. The tension is high and the conditions are poor but for one brief moment on Christmas Day, 1914, something wonderful seems to just happen.

This animation caught my eye in the crowded TV schedule and it looked quite interesting because, although I knew about it, I have never seen or really read anything about the football "match" between the two warring sides played in no man's land. This film follows our couple of characters to the trenches, showing the family's pain as they go away, the nature of life in the trenches, the peace and ease of the match and finally the sheer bloody pointlessness of the whole thing. This is all well and good but, by aiming for a family audience (I assume) they have stayed away from the reality a bit too much and have produced something that is more about introducing children to history rather than being of greater value. This can be seen in several areas but mostly it is in the animation. It looks very like The Snowman in style – big round faces, smoothed surfaces and nice colours. This seems to feed into the story because everything is a bit like that and it reduces the emotional impact it can have. Credit for a last scene attempt at showing the horrific pointlessness of the front line but this was too little, too late.

The voice talent wasn't. The presence of Kate Winslet in the top billing is praiseworthy but she doesn't add much – she has a small role and she is asked to produce emotion from nothing (and she can't). The rest of the cast are all a bit too cheery and "chappy" and they never for once convinced me as real people. In that regard they matched the animation by being suitable for families but being too "nice" to do anything else.

Overall this is an OK way in for families but is not dark or real enough to satisfy adults being told the story. It is all a bit too nice and soft and the dark conclusion can't cover up for how bland it had been up till that point. It does still produce an emotional reaction and it does make one shake one's head and wonder if the men could get along why their superiors couldn't, but these feelings are more to do with the story being told rather than the manner of telling.

An odd choice for a kids' film....

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 29 May 2012]

WARNING: There are LOTS of spoilers in the review. As you read, you'll understand why I mentioned them.

I am NOT being critical in my summary. It's just that although this is a cartoon and is intended for kids, it's pretty frightening stuff. Now I am NOT recommending you don't let your kids see it but perhaps it's a film best seen with them. Plus, I just wouldn't let younger kids see it because developmentally they aren't ready to see a film about WWI and trench warfare! The events in the film are based, in part, on a real incident that happened during the first Christmas during WWI. The events are also portrayed in the wonderful French film "Joyeux Noël" (literally "Merry Christmas")--though the French film is designed for a more mature audience and is also one of the best French films I've seen in the last few years. Unlike "Joyeux Noël", the focus of this cartoon is on one young recruit and you see the war through his eyes. It IS sanitized quite a bit but still would be tough viewing for younger audience members. I think they chose to create the fictional hero to make the film more accessible for kids--especially since the guy is only 16--a kid himself.

"War Game" begins as WWI begins. A group of young people are playing football ('soccer' to us Americans and folks in some other parts of the globe such as South Africa). When they learn of the war, they are eager to sign up and have adventure. Some time passes, and the war still seems a bit like an adventure. Then, something VERY weird happens on Christmas day--the Germans and British stop shooting at each other and, slowly, they come out of their trenches and begin to celebrate...together! They play a game of football and there is camaraderie all around. The next day, they go back to killing each other! Considering how hellish and pointless this war was, you sure wish they'd kept playing! (Sadly, the officers in charge of these troops and the troops were later severely disciplined for taking a day off--but this isn't shown in the film).

When you watch "War Game", you will no doubt notice the animation. It looks nothing like a Disney film but a bit like Tin-Tin--but drawn a lot better. The colors and quality of the animation are excellent. My only reservation is that the filth, blood and death in the war isn't even close to being captured adequately in the film--perhaps sanitizing it all too much (though they tried to capture it a bit) in spots. It's a problem, as you don't want to traumatize kids BUT you also don't want them to think war is fun or an adventure. Despite this, the film still is very poignant and well made. Just be sure, as I recommend, you see it with your kids, as I am sure they'll have lots of questions and an emotional reaction to the film. I'd recommend the film for kids age 12-18--but all this depends on the child. I repeat...WATCH IT WITH THEM, AS THE MAIN CHARACTER SEEMS TO DIE AT THE END (this is debatable) AND IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON ANY SANE CHILD!! There is a good chance they'll be in tears when it ends.