San Sebastian Review: The Super Elfkins, like its protagonists, is short and sweet

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing The Elfkins -- Baking a Difference, the 2020 animated adventure that introduced these characters to the world, but I had no trouble jumping right in for the film's sequel, The Super Elfkins, which is playing at the San Sebastian International Film Festival next week in their delightful "Movies for kids" section. The Super Elfkins is a deserving entry there, because it's the kind of movie that kids will love, and that older viewers will likely have a good time with, too.

The Elfkins seem to be based on the fairy-tale/storybook elves who sneak into human homes at night to help clean and tidy and make shoes and all kinds of other good deeds. When we meet up with the crew this time, in their iconic red hats and otherwise very German outfits (they live in Cologne), they're on just such a mission. There's a seamstress in town who's overworked and very tired, and thus having trouble finishing a wedding dress for a client. Her deadline is looming, her daughter is worried about her, and the dress still has a lot of work.

Enter the Elfkins, who are ready to swoop in and work their magic. Including, sort of, Elfie, the Elkin who led them all aboveground in the previous movie (which is briefly mentioned in this one) and who has higher aims for her life. She wants danger, excitement, and fun. Not that she doesn't want to help humans. She just believes there might be a way to do so with a little more panache.

And there's a perfect opportunity to push those limits, because there's a new, smaller group of Elfkins in town. They recently moved from Vienna. They have all kinds of high-tech gadgetry. They want to have fun, take what they want from humans, and answer to no one. It's a very different way of life than the one Elfie is used to, and one that -- at least at first glance -- is much more appealing to her. She bonds with Bo of the Viennese gang. He, too, feels like an outsider. He's a little more cautious and kind, a bit more adverse to danger.

If you can see where this is heading, well, yeah. The Super Elfkins isn't breaking new ground thematically or narratively. In fact, it reminded me quite a bit of another (lesser) animated movie from earlier this year, A Tooth Fairy Tale. A lot of kids movies delve into themes of feeling different, wanting to find a place where you belong, exploring if the grass really is greener on the other side. And I don't bemoan a kids' movie for going over such well-trod thematic ground. These are the kinds of stories and messages that are really great for kids to hear, and ones that movies often seek to impart. Who knows what movie a kid will see that will get through to them, help them feel more seen or understood, or provide them a little peace in a chaotic world? For some, it just might be The Super Elfkins.

And if the movie is a pretty straight-on bit of entertainment, it at least does it all well. The animation is cute, the characters are charming, and the pacing is swift. Clocking in at around 75 minutes, this movie isn't wasting anyone's time. You're in and out before you know it, with some fun laughs along the way.

And as fairly simple as the story is, I was really pleased at how the movie builds its various plot threads and then weaves them together into a fun and exciting finale. There's a cop who is convinced that Elfkins are real, and is determined to prove so to her Chief (and the public at large). She has a cat who's more dialed in to the Elfkins' movements, but isn't really appreciated by her owner. The seamstress and her daughter factor in quite a bit, particularly the latter, because she desperately wants a pet. Obviously, there are the two at-odds factions of Elfkins, the outsider angle, there's a snack stand that becomes a bit of a battleground. Quite a few plates spinning that all stack up quite nicely.

With its simple storytelling, likable characters, and colorful animation, I imagine this won't be the last we see of the Elfkins. I would certainly welcome future adventures with them. Who knows what other cities might be harboring secret populations, and what wrinkles they might bring with them if they journey to Cologne? I would love to find out.

The Super Elfkins plays San Sebastian International Film Festival on Saturday, September 27.