Annabelle's Wish (1997)

Load of rubbish!!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

If you're a parent and are looking for something to show your 3-12 y/o kids on the dark evenings before Christmas, I can recommend you to show them this movie. I will list a few of the good parts of this movie and a few of the bad parts of this movie so you can decide for yourself. If your child likes farms then I can truly recommend it. And given that I'm a more grumpy person than Scrooge and a notorious critic when it comes down to children stuff (and I tend to smash down films that offend the intelligence of kids) I think that will hopefully say something. The good:The relationships in this movie are very genuine, especially between the main characters Billy and Annabelle. They are well build up, sweet and have meaning behind them, especially in the decisions they make and how they care for each other. A cheap gimmick often used in other children movies (I'm looking at you, Care Shits- I mean, Bears) is that a child has ''suffered'' from something just to make it all dramatic, but in the end it is all contrived, doesn't make sense and means nothing. In this movie however, there is actually build up to events that happened to Billy and they are shown to the audience. - The struggles the grandfather of Billy is going through are very well understood and have a lot of meaning. - The dramatic moments are very sweet,genuine and can cause tears, and are not forced in.The bad:the trick behind characters in stories for young children is to make archetypes so they are more easily understood. This often gets confused for making stereotypes, and this movie sometimes falls into that trap, especially with Slim the pig and with the chickens. Fortunately though those character do not matter a whole lot except of being filler to fill up the animals needed on a farm. With 53 minutes I still find it a tad short. I wouldn't have mind learning more from our main characters. - The designs are rather bland and the animation is not the best ever. This does really impact the experience, however. Some emotional scenes drag on too long while others are, in my opinion, too short.In conclusion, despite a couple of flaws, it is a very sweet and genuine tale that actually can move a person, and I believe children can enjoy it. For adults it may seem a bit bland, however.

I've always adored Christmas movies, from It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Snowman. Annabelle's Wish is another one of my favourites. It looks beautiful, the character designs are skillfully drawn and the backgrounds are colourful and fluid. The score is wonderfully whimsical, and the songs are catchy, while the writing is amusing and sweet and the story of friendship(always has been a great value) gives you that warm and cosy feeling as a Christmas movie should do and is genuinely touching without being sentimental. The characters are really likable, especially Annabelle, who is just adorable and you identify with her immediately. Billy also is enough to warm the heart. The voice acting from the likes of Kath Soucie, Jerry Van Dyke, Clancy Brown, Randy Travis and Cloris Leachman is very good. Overall, a cute, touching animation that is perfect for the Christmas season or if you want something very relaxing to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This film is very good in my book. It stars a lovely, friendly boy named Billy who can't speak and a calf named Annabelle who was born on Christmas Eve. Annabelle has a special wish and she's going to tell it to Father Christmas next Christmas...I recommend this for children who would like to watch a quick, pleasurable film, not JUST about Christmas, it's also for people who like animals, especially farm animals, people who still don't prefer computer to cartoon animation and a film with unforgettable characters, one or two lovely songs and a good storyline! PANT PANT. BOY was that a long sentence to explain why you should watch this film! :) So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't had the chance, buy it or rent it from Amazon or the nearest shop and watch it! If you don't like it, you could lend it to a friend! ENJOY!! :)P.S This is a very emotional film and for people who feel emotional, I suggest a few hankies provided, especially at the end.

This is an animation for the ages. I thought "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was my absolute favourite of all time, until I saw Annabelle's Wish.It's the tale of true friendship and unselfishness that I believe EVERYONE should watch. It touches the heart, body, and soul with stunning visuals, a great score, and wonderful art and voices. Buy it if you have kids. Buy it if you are a kid. Buy it... if ... if you still believe there is some good and worth in this world left.