Review: Thelma's Perfect Birthday is sadly not worth celebrating

First, I just want to say, with a movie like Thelma's Perfect Birthday, it doesn't really matter what someone like me thinks. Some movies are designed specifically for children, and thus deserve to be judged on a sort of curve, or even not at all. Just leave them to the kids. They can decide if it's worth watching (likely over and over and over again) or if it isn't worth the time. That said, I'm still going to keep seeking out animated movies that are clearly made for kids and not for me. And sometimes, I'm going to really like them (one from this year that I really loved was the utterly sweet Tummy Tom and the Lost Teddy Bear).

Sadly, that's not the case here. Thelma's Perfect Birthday is one of those movies where most adults will struggle to find much to enjoy. Even at a mercifully short 71 minutes, it's quite a drag, with wonky pacing, bizarre plotting, and really off dialogue. I have to wonder if some of my issues come down to some poor translation. A co-production of Latvia and Luxembourg, I watched the English version (which world-premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival earlier this week), and some of the dialogue hit my ear so wrong. Particularly the scenes between Thelma and her parents, which are harsh to the point of being comical. Weird stuff.

As the title suggests, Thelma is excitedly awaiting her fifth birthday, and is busy planning how to make it perfect. Which is a struggle, because in the Land of Ice, birthdays aren't really a thing. Or they're celebrated a different way? I'm not totally clear. But Thelma wants to have a party, and she wants to invite her two friends who live in the forest, a far-away land. But to do that, she needs to send an invitation. And to do that, she needs three dimes. And to do that...

That's how the movie feels. This happens, then this happens, then this. And not all of it is so straightforward cause-and-effect. In fact, most of it isn't. There are so many wild things that happen that feel completely random and disconnected from any sort of logic or rhyme. Again, maybe kids won't notice or mind. But it made me feel like I was going crazy. Especially how some of the film's exposition early on feels like it's part of a series, like there's baseline information we should already be privy to. I was holding onto that notion until we get a sudden burst of backstory that made me feel even crazier. If you were wondering how Thelma even has friends who live so far away, don't worry, you will find out.

So this is a tough watch. But it's at least pretty easy on the eyes. The backgrounds of this movie are really lovely, rendered in beautiful watercolor. The greens and blues of the Land of Ice are so relaxing and cozy, and as Thelma traipses across further-flung lands, there are a lot of great colorful flourishes. Which extends to the character designs, as well. Early on, Thelma meets a one-legged ram whose saxophone doubles as his wheeled prosthetic (so cool!). Later, a cruise ship arrives that is actually a giant, absolutely adorable snail. I actually might have squealed a little bit at that reveal.

And ultimately, for kids, the nonsensical story might take a backseat to the abundance of imagination on display here. The various worlds and wacky characters will possibly be enough for them. Thelma meets so many fun friends along her journey: a seahorse big band, a lizard who delivers pizza via gondola, a married zebra couple who treasure hunt from their spaceship. And with such a short runtime, there hopefully won't be much time for the little ones to get antsy, even if this grown-up certainly did.