Badgered (2005) User Reviews (11)

Strong animation

[lakens · 6/10 · 12 April 2006]

Some animations impress by the way they are made. Some are extremely funny. Others have a great story. This animation is pretty strong on all points, but doesn't stick out in any. It's a relaxed watch. The music is good, it has a nice animations style (reminding me of Dudok de Wit's work but a little rougher) a funny and good storyline. It's also not that remarkable in any way. I would have expected a little more of a Oscar winner. Something a little extra, to set it apart from other animations, but nothing really did.

Overall good, a 7/10, but not like previous Oscar winners like Das Rad, Ryan or For the birds. Still it's enjoyable and worth the watch. However, I doubt if it deserved the Oscar, in my own opinion.

Silly and neat.

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 12 May 2006]

This is a very cute and oftentimes funny short. The general storyline does seem to be a staple of animation (one of my favorite Looney Tunes is one where Elmer can't get to sleep because of a persistent candle), and in a way I felt I've seen it done enough before. But still, it's entertaining and worth a laugh.

It's kind of interesting its little subject of the disruptive nature of war and human technology, because it doesn't really bother to explore any of that in-depth. Really that scene seems just like something to put in there, which is okay, it's just... there. I mean okay, so these events take place... what are we supposed to do with it? I'm not saying that the short needs a theme or should explore anything in particular, I just think that the bomb thing was an odd way to take the storyline, especially since it didn't really bother to put much more importance on it.

It's just kind of silly and neat.

--PolarisDiB

Cute, but pedestrian film

[gfarris · 5/10 · 28 February 2006]

Basically the story of a Badger who is interrupted while trying to get some sleep, this film has one or two moments of slight amusement, but is not much better than any typical Saturday morning cartoon. The animation appears to have been drawn by a fifth-grader of average talent, and it is surprising that this film has received an Oscar nomination. It is difficult to tell if the denouement is intended to be thought-provoking at a political level or just another homage to the wiser and infinitely better Road Runner cartoons. The only redeeming value this film has is its short running time. To be fair, the sound and music effects are adequate, but animation has as part of its nature the ability to transcend the every-day. This film not only doesn't transcend the level of a second level children's book, it appears to be just that--and Reading Rainbow did a better job of creating the effect of animation with the static pages of books than this film does with animation as its primary medium.

A timely tale told through charming animation

[BenLock · 8/10 · 25 August 2006]

This is a lovely animation - well deserved of being Oscar Nominated! I was delighted to have worked with Sharon at the Film School and I can't imagine a more delightful person to have won (if she had).

I believe this film was nominated because it demonstrates simplicity of story-telling with a charming and identifiable lead character. The hand-drawn animation captures emotion through the smallest and subtlest of details - look out for the odd blink and scratch; it's very endearing especially coupled with beautiful music and gentle sound effects.

When you add into the pot a timely note about human interference with nature it all comes together and can't but put a smile on your face.

Well done Sharon!

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Hibernation

[acmelita · 8 January 2008]

Anyone who hits the snooze bar as much as I do can relate to this badger.

Of course, there is another level to this story of a badger who just wants to sleep, for heaven's sake, but it is told with a light, humorous touch, not an annoying alarm-clock style bleating. It approaches the topic of nuclear power from a new, refreshing, badger's eye point of view.

If you'd like to see this engaging film www.Filmporium.com is offering it for five dollars along with "Swamp," a film that depicts horses supported by balloons engaged in battle and "Nibbles" a frenetically paced family travelogue.

Couldn't convince me

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 27 July 2015]

"Badgered" is a 7-minute animated short film from 7 years ago that managed to score an Academy Award nomination. The good news is that, in my opinion, it is not worse than the eventual winner "The Moon and the Son". The bad news is that this is mostly due to the eventual winner being a very forgettable effort. Same goes for "Badgered". The story is really absurd, but never really funny. A badger is in hibernation, but first he gets annoyed by a couple loud crows and later on, the story takes a turn for nuclear warhead who get stored at the badger's home for whatever reason. And as weak and pointless the story is, the same goes for the underwhelming animation. It looks like it's taken right out a storybook for children, but not out of a good one. The style is really very basic and not particularly creative in my opinion. I am a bit surprised that Sharon Colman actually worked on some pretty big films in recent years, even if it was not as a director. She may have considerably stepped her game up as she was only in her mid 20s when this was made. "Badgered" is not worth the watch.

This is a good short, but the Oscar nomination puzzles me

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 26 December 2006]

This short is a very nicely animated, occasionally funny and very cute cartoon-with just a bit of teeth at the end. When I first saw it on-line, it put a smile on my face, though I wasn't sure just why it was nominated for an Oscar for Animated Short. I didn't really have that big a problem with its nomination-and I really still don't much mind the nomination, but I'm even more puzzled since I got the collection of 2005 Academy Award-nominated shorts, which also included two non-nominated animated shorts, presumably to augment the disc because two of the animated nominees aren't included here (Pixar presumably declined to include One Man Band because they placed it on the Cars DVD as an extra and 9 has been optioned for expansion into a feature). Trouble is, at least in my opinion, both of the non-nominated shorts included deserved a nomination more than Badgered did. Don't misunderstand me-I like Badgered and, again, I have no problem with its nomination, but The Fan and the Flower and Imago were even better, at least to me. Now onto my comments on Badgered. As I plan on discussing some details, this is a spoiler warning:

This is a deceptively simple tale of a badger simply trying to get some sleep. That attempt is frustrated, first by a pair of rather raucous crows and then by the incursion of man into the badger's burrow, in a very disturbing manner-they turn the area around and under his burrow into a missile silo. It's a very short film and the ending is basically "gallows humor", but the badger does ultimately get his wish-he gets the world to leave him be to sleep in peace. I particularly like the final shot of the crows. A good, if rather pat, piece of work, though overshadowed by The Sun and the Moon, which deservedly won the Oscar and is on the collected 2005 Academy Award nominees disc. I highly recommend that disc to anyone who really likes shorts, as most of the live-action shorts are quite good as well. This particular short is well worth seeing and is recommended.

Like Any Other Cute Short Seen On The Television

[sashank_kini-1 · 5/10 · 11 February 2012]

A six minute short with a simple plot about a badger being badgered by cawing crows who disturb his sleep, and the sudden arrival of a truck carrying nuclear missiles that conceals the weapons of mass destruction beneath the badger's abode under the ground.

I do believe this was intended to be another short meant for young children in schools that alluded to nuclear weaponry. It is well drawn and rather perfect for an animal tale. Oscar nomination probably wasn't in its mind and only came in as a surprise for the film. Truly Oscar-worthy hand-drawn animated movies are the ones made by Walt Disney, which are absolutely spectacular in its imagination. There was a Mickey tale which actually gave life to a train; imagine watching a train with eyes getting tired and tugging the tracks to reach the station. There is a lack of imagination in many animated films today and it is because many try to unnecessarily add metaphors and deeper meanings to the films.

My Rating: 5 out of 10

Something to really Crow about

[karoldoyle · 8/10 · 21 January 2022]

Beautiful animated short which lost out on the oscar but is a nice little feel good curio. Two stunt crows revel in annoying our badger friend with their constant cawing. Who hasn't wanted to punch a crow in their time...i know have! The crows are cleverly drawn and depicted as avian rascals but the ending is satisfactory as our Badger triumphs in settling the score with these flying feathered caw caw cawing see you next tusadays. Enjoy.

Having a little fun with nuclear annihilation!!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 February 2008]

This is a bit of a throwback--an Academy Award nominated animated short that looks like a tradition hand-drawn cartoon--something quite rare in recent years, as almost all the recent nominees have been computer generated. This is NOT meant to be a criticism--just a recognition that the makers of this sick but funny little film have chosen an older style--which makes it actually look much fresher and more interesting than all the recent CG cartoons.

The film is about a badger that wants to hibernate. However, two super-annoying crows sit outside his burrow and incessantly caw--driving the poor badger crazy. I love how the crows were drawn--you just have to see and hear them and you can't help but laugh. Later, a truck arrives and turns the burrow into a nuclear depot--complete with ICBMs. The badger inadvertently shoots them off but there is a plus side--now he can finally have some peace and quiet!! Funny, cute and quite clever--this one's a winner.

looking for peace

[Kirpianuscus · 8 April 2023]

The hibernation of a badger is disturbet by two crows. It tries obtain the nice siclence for sleep. But the danger has no one direction. The human intervention for obtain ...peace is new challenge for good badger. Solved in simple and very innocent manner.

And , after efforts, a feather of crow offers the deserved silence.

Badgered is just a beautiful short animation. For simple story but, especially, for inspired hand drawn characters, with special scent of childhood afternoons, for music and for the anti militarist reference.

And for the fair to wise portrait of the calvary of saturday, sunday, vacantions mornings , when the sleep, the desire of silence are so significant but ignored by the others.

So, just lovely.