The movie is set in Paris in 1910. Emile is a shy movie projectionist, and Raoul, a confident and extrovert inventor. They find themselves joining with Lucille, a cabaret singing star, a mad scientist, and his monkey, who communicates through flash cards, to save the monster, which turns out to be a 7 foot tall harmless flea (who has a divine singing voice and plays guitar), from the city's misguided police chief.
The stylized Paris is gorgeous to look at, and the characterisations brilliant. I thought the use of 3D added to the appeal and didn't seem to be there just as a gimmick - something that can't be said about many other 3D animations.
This is un-Disneyfied animation so we don't have lots of American comedians doing their party piece. Instead, Vanessa Paradis voices Lucille and Sean Lennon provides the voice of Franceour, the flea. Apart from that I have to confess I didn't recognise any names - but I feel this was a plus point.
The movie was origin in French but the English version doesn't look odd in the matching of words to mouths.
Music plays a key role in the movie, and their are plenty of catchy, toe-tapping songs (perhaps, being pedantic, not actually historically accurate given the year the movie is set).
I went with my 10-year old son who had chosen A Monster in Paris over what I had thought would be his choice, Journey 2: the Mysterious Island but he loved it too.
A movie about a 7 foot, singing flea might not seem an obvious choice but, if you can get out with your kids over half term, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
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