CHIFF Review: Mumbo Jumbo is the year's gentlest adventure

One of the pleasures of watching animation is seeing movies that are intended for wildly different audiences. In recent years, more and more adult-skewing animation has been bubbling to the surface and garnering more attention, thanks to factors like anime becoming more internationally beloved and movies like Flow, Memoir of a Snail, and Flee making waves during their respective awards seasons. But yes, a lot of animation remains squarely aimed at kids, and it's a lot of fun to check out different filmmakers', studios', and countries' approaches to children's animation. Mumbo Jumbo, based on a book by Jakob Martin Strid and playing as part of this year's CHIFF, is an absolute delight that's sure to resonate with younger viewers.

A lot of kids can't wait to grow up. They imagine the freedoms of being an adult: having money, being able to drive, not having a strict bedtime, so many other things. There's a sense of powerlessness, a lack of agency, and some of that is tied to kids' diminutive sizes. So, kids who watch Mumbo Jumbo will certainly resonate with Jumbo, a tiny hippo who often feels held back by his height (or lack thereof). When we meet Jumbo, he's flitting about the field where his friends and neighbors are dutifully setting up a party, desperate to find a way that he can help. However, he's so small, and his voice so twee, that most of them don't even hear his pleas. And when he finally manages to get a task assigned to him, it doesn't exactly go well.

While Jumbo is frustrated by his size, he has the full support of everyone around him. His friends, neighbors, and moms love him unequivocally: not despite who is he, but because of it. He's encouraged to be himself, because he's exactly how he's supposed to be. A strong message for viewers of all ages, but especially kids who are still figuring out the kinks of their identities.

Eventually, Jumbo is assigned a task that seems well-suited to him: to fetch some mushrooms for the feast to come. But while he's trying to figure out which ones to pick, he samples a particularly fun-looking one, which causes him to become massive, towering over the trees. With everyone's help, he finds out that the only way to get back to his normal size is to set off for the dark forests of Siberia, where he'll find the infamous Baby Yaga. She's the only one powerful enough to reverse the spell.

The adventure that ensues is exceedingly gentle and sweet. Jumbo sets off with a few of his friends -- Cheetah, Tapir, and Mimbo the elephant -- whom he totes along in a bathtub tied to a balloon. They venture along the highway, across the sea, and eventually into the heart of the forest, where they meet Baby Yaga herself (she's quite squat herself). While our group of young heroes encounter some hardships along the way, the danger is always muted and presented in a calm, measured manner. There's no stress, just moments of small thrills that are quickly dealt with, so the journey can continue.

This approach means that older viewers probably won't find a lot to connect with or chew on here. It's a very simple there-and-back-again adventure, punctuated with occasional new characters and a few fun musical numbers. The animation is absolutely adorable, and the English dub (which I watched) is great. 

Though Mumbo Jumbo isn't one of those Hollywood-esque four-quadrant crowd-pleasers, it isn't trying to be. Instead, it sets out to be a fun and easy adventure for younger viewers that can instill some timeless life lessons along the way: being comfortable in your own skin, supporting your friends, and helping your community. It's just about the cutest, warmest movie I've seen this year.