Nocturna (2007)

Too much of everything

Fresh and Exciting

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Acceptable cartoon movie with enjoyable original screenplay by Adrià García, Víctor Maldonado , Teresa Vilardell and inspired by Japanese tales and Miyazaki movies . This is an attractive and entertaining adventure in traditional animation , no ordinary computer generator . In the aging orphanage the days pass very uneventfully , but the nights are something quite different ; at least for Tim they are . Tim is a boy who lives at an orphanage and afraid of dark but he will have several adventures . However , when the stars start going out in the sky he finds himself exploring the world of the night along with a new friend . As the light reflected from the stars is the only cure for his fear of the dark . As Tim to be aware that his favorite star has vanished , and unfortunately it's not going to be the last one and he will do what it takes to see it shine in the night sky once again . One night his fear leads him to the rooftop , then , Tim falls off the roof but he is rescued by a weird being . As Tim meets a particular role that goes by the name of the Cat Shepherd (voice by Imanol Arias) ; together with his sympathetic cat Tobermory , that will become Tim's personal guardian , the Shepherd is in charge of cats that watch over children , making kiddies sleep peacefully . As Tim needs his star more than anything in the world , and he will stop at nothing to accomplish it . Tim convinces the Shepherd to take him to see Moka , the guardian of the night , and pleads for him to return the stars to the night sky but Moka pays scarce attention to the boys pleas . Later on , Tim asks the Cat Shepherd to take him to the Lighthouse of the stars , where he thinks he may find the answer to the strange phenomena . Step by step our friends will discover something strange is happening and Tim is unknowingly the one behind it all . Agreeable and charming fairy tale starred by Tim , his fellow the Cat Sheperd , Tim's best friend , and a likable cat , all of them race against the clock through the streets and jumping rooftops pursuing the rare phenomena that have made to disappear the star as well as light and to find out why . The movie is a bizarre animation film in which our little hero , an enthusiast , passionate orphan , takes on ominous threats that are putting in danger the night and the inhabitants of Nocturna as well as encounter the vanished star . The film shows a strange and fantastic world called ¨Nocturna¨ , plenty of Gothic and high buildings and where live hundreds of the most diverse creatures and they work to create the night as we all know it . The film is quite amusing with emphasis on cartoon spectacle and influenced by Ghibli Studios and especially ¨Spirited away¨ by Ayao Miyazaki . Animation production by Jose Pozo is nice , Nicolas Errera's musical score is first-rate and very spectacular . This sensitive soundtrack is splendidly composed and performed . Production by Julio Fernandez , ruling of Filmax Productions and Fantastic Factory is fine . He has become one of the most important producers of the country . Actually, the position of his organization responds fully to the opportunities of the European and international markets in the leisure sector, emphasizing on the fantastic genre, through Fantastic Factory and animation with Filmax Animation , to the global market on home video, television and also theatrically . He has produced successful cartoon films as ¨El Raton Perez I and II¨ or "The Hairy Tooth Fairy", ¨Gisaku¨ , ¨El Cid : the legend¨ also directed by Jose Pozo and ¨Goomer¨, among others . The motion picture was well directed by Adrià García and Víctor Maldonado . The film got a great number of prizes and nominations , such as : Barcelona Film Awards 2007 Won Barcelona Film Award Best Animated Feature Adrià García Víctor Maldonado ; Goya Awards 2008 Won Goya Best Animation Film Adrià García ; and nominated Annecy International Animated Cristal Best Feature Adrià García , Víctor Maldonado .

Nocturna is one of the best animated films I've seen, not just recently but ever. The animation is some of the most beautiful-looking I've seen from any animated film in a while, and I say this as a huge animation fan, with colours especially that have a perfect mix of Gothic atmosphere, surrealism and warmth. The music score is enchanting too, sparkling and adventurous, while the story is original in concept and very creative and simple with an appreciative message, the writing is is dynamic and never cheesy or stilted and the characters are both memorable and appealing, Tim is cute but never in a cloying sense, you actually do root for him. The voice work is wonderfully professional.So all in all, a gem of a film, not just animated but of film in general. 10/10 Bethany Cox

After downloading this movie I am going out to buy it on DVD. I was very pleased with it.A Spanish - french production that portrays the more than typical story of the little boy afraid of the dark. Tipical? Maybe. But after you watch it you can be sure to be submerged into a childs world of spookiness and pure visual poetry. The story unfolds as stars start disappearing. So the boy meets the cats shepherd, whose purpose you will learn during watching this delightfull film, who will help little Tim (the boy) to go on a journey throughout the night. As the world is being devoured by what Tim fears most. He must struggle together to save the night. I wouldn't say a touch of Tim Burton, but definitely this typical french and Spanish touch of Gothic visual in which nothing is straight but curvy and angled. A very pleasant eye catcher is the architecture of buildings in this little piece of art. It is what makes the whole ambiance plus the different light scalings and brightnesses. This movie is mostly in a blue tone which emphasizes more the suspense of darkness.In the end it unfolds to be very predictable somehow but still a Wow for the lovers of old visual poetry as I use to call it.Reminds me of summer nights looking up in the sky and staring at the stars with a full moon and some nice mellowy clouds.

This movie is amazing! Animation is perfect! You cant get enough of high quality traditional animation these days (low quality would be like Marvel animations, nick animation, most Disney sequels). The plot is awesome. And the concept is very original! It kind of has that dark and Gothic Burtonesque feel and style to it. The background art is very awesomely surreal in a non to weird of a way. Crooked alleyways, twisted buildings, curling street poles, and a beautifully colorful moonlit sky. Wish is more well know, perhaps Disney could release it in the states. Gah! For such an amazing movie there isn't really much about it on IMDb no pics or posters or anything. I makes me very sad because its just an amazing movie. T