Review: A classic story gets some new shine in Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx

Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx, the latest in a long line of adaptations of Johanna Spyri's beloved novel, starts off by beautifully grounding the viewer in its world. Thick fog rolls through the picturesque mountains. We see wild animals tromping through the forests. A man plays one of those long horns that makes you think of yodelers and lederhosen. The striking imagery and lovely music put you right where you ought to be, and let you know you're in good hands for the quaint adventure to come. It's fitting that these opening moments are so keen on showcasing the beauty of this corner of the natural world, because this is a story about loving and living alongside nature, even when friction arises.

Though Heidi has been adapted time and again throughout all of film history, I think this is my first time engaging with it. As a kid, I was aware of the Shirley Temple version, but I don't know that I ever watched it. Rescue of the Lynx proves to be a nice entry point, at least to this newcomer's eyes. 

This is a very simple story, and one that you'll quickly know the lay of once the narrative gears get working. This is, at its core, an environmental story, and that plays out in two main narrative thrusts. A snotty businessman from the city named Schnaittinger arrives in Heidi's mountainside village, where he hopes to build a sawmill. In return, he promises the help the town with various projects, namely repairing the church (which was damaged in a recent fire) and helping ward off the lynxes that sometimes slink into town in search of an easy meal. It's immediately apparent that this guy is a crook, and it ends up he regularly runs similar schemes to turn an easy profit while destroying the surrounding wilderness. Classic capitalist pig.

Heidi comes into the picture because her grandfather is the lone villager standing against the plan, and Schnaittinger needs unanimous support to get construction underway. He figures out that Heidi is harboring a baby lynx that was caught in one of his traps, so she (and the lynx, and obviously the grandfather) become the targets of his further scheming. Between the sawmill and the lynx issue, the film very clearly lays out its plea: to live in harmony with nature, and to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. "What grandeur could you possibly give me that I don't already have?" Grandpa says when offered a big payout from Schnaittinger. Well-said.

For her part, Heidi is a plucky little heroine. With her short hairdo, smattering of freckles, and always-bare feet, she's clearly at home in the fields and the forests, with a seemingly endless supply of energy. She's adorable, easy to root for, and has fun chemistry both with the baby lynx (which she names Pepper) and her best friend Peter, a shepherd who can't always keep up with her. She makes it her mission to nurse Pepper back to health so she can return him to his family, a noble mission indeed.

This is a really nice-looking little movie. The characters are designed nicely, with Schnaittinger looking very devious and Grandpa being weirdly hot? Like, there's a shot of him sitting in the rain, big strong hands looking all sturdy, and I found myself thinking, That is a man. But maybe that's just me. I also loved all the animals. Obviously, Pepper is an adorable little baby, but Grandpa's dog Joseph and Peter's family's cow are also very cute-looking. And a scene with a squirrel sent my dog into an absolute frenzy, so the film gets points for some verisimilitude there, too.

While anyone can see very quickly where this movie is heading, and predict almost every beat after ten minutes or so, it goes through them with enough energy and humor, and in such quick fashion, that it ends up just being a pleasant romp. The whole thing clocks in at 75 minutes, including end credits, so it's not a major time commitment, which I always appreciate. 

Props, too, to the English dub, which was so well-done that I actually wondered if this was in English from the beginning. Ends up the original language is German, so well-done to all involved.

Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx currently doesn't have US distribution in place (seems like it could be a good fit for Viva Kids), but it hits theaters in the UK and Ireland on August 1. Hopefully it finds its way to these shores, too.