Review: Return to Kellogg oozes cozy Canadian charm

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time playing with action figures (which I referred to as "my guys"), stuffed animals, and LEGO sets. A lot of the time I was playing, I was structuring my play sessions as TV shows. I had The LEGO Show, of course. And a talk show hosted by a stuffed whale I got at Sea World. I don't remember the others, but I imagined them all playing on a channel called C!, as one does. (Is it any wonder I ended up working in the entertainment industry?)

Watching writer-director Carolyn Gair's delightful Return to Kellogg felt like being in one of those play sessions, albeit one with more narrative know-how than what I was working with in my grade school days. Stop-motion animated with a variety of action figures and toys, the film is a shaggy charmer that has that magical feeling of a day just playing around and having fun. There's a boundless, joyful creativity at the core of this movie, one that's infectious. It's also extremely Canadian, which means there's a kind of gee-whiz sweetness at work, too. In short: you just can't go wrong checking this movie out.

Within seconds, I knew I was going to feel right at home in this world. The way the characters move through the world isn't extremely technical, in that some of them barely have articulated joints or changing facial expressions. It's more like watching the figures shuffle along through their environments (which are fantastically detailed and creative). But the way they move is nonetheless fun and expressive in its own right, and coupled with the fantastic voice cast, these characters really come to life. It's a huge cast of characters (around 50 or so), and the runtime is a pretty tight 80 minutes, but they all get a chance to shine, and you could ask a dozen different viewers who their standouts were and get a dozen different answers.

You've probably seen plenty of movies about getting the band back together, but Return to Kellogg takes the concept to unheard-of heights: getting the town back together. You see, Kellogg is a tiny Canadian town (population: 5). Most of the businesses are shuttered, because most of the townsfolk have moved to far-flung corners of the world: Africa, Finland, Bolivia, Wisconsin. But with a new highway being built, the workers a the town's hotel (including the manager/town mayor, Maurice the penguin) are determined to qualify for an off-ramp, which could bring tourism to the town, and help it return to its former glory.

The first chunk of the movie follows Pete the postman as he drives his van around the world (often in frankly nonsensical directions), handing out letters to these former citizens, asking them to return to their hometown. If they can claim to have 50 residents, the town will be granted an off-ramp. And everyone is happy to do their part. This is part of the Canadian-ness (and the general sweetness) of the film, that all of these people living fulfilling lives around the globe are willing to return to their hometown and rally around a good cause. This is, in so many ways, an extremely cozy viewing experience, one where you can settle in and laugh and cheer on this bunch of weirdos as they go about their business.

As you might expect, things don't go exactly as planned, and the gang has to regroup and use their various skills to pivot. It's hard to think of another movie with such a colorful cast of characters. Some of my favorites include the trio of sassy zebras who fly around in a hot air balloon, the alien rabbits, Archie the put-upon bellhop monkey, and the Russians (one of whom has some sort of queer awakening by the time the credits roll). There's even a block of cheese who stars on a radio show. And some recognizable characters from elsewhere in the movie-verse, like Snow White, Gromit, and Godzilla. This movie literally has everything.

And it works in every storytelling mode it slides into. The opening sequences of Pete finding the characters in every corner of the world are so funny and surprising. Once everyone gets to town, a bunch of scenes (some one-off, some connecting) play like comedic vignettes and enhance our understanding of the characters. And eventually, when the construction crew comes to town, we settle into a more narrative-driven gear, which is also fun. At every turn, I was so happy with where we were, and how the movie was going about its business.

And, just to be clear in case it isn't already: this movie is hysterically funny. It does such a good job of defining its huge cast of characters, and setting them up to deliver great bits and memorable one-liners. There's also a myriad of languages that pop up throughout, which is nifty. For being such a small town, Kellogg feels like a crossroads of the world.

I heard about the film because it was selected to play at this year's Cartoons on the Bay in Italy, which came across my Instagram. I'm happy to report that you need not travel so far to see the film, as Gair uploaded it on YouTube a couple months ago. So, yeah, check out the video below or add it to your watchlist on there. You'll be glad you did.