MOVIE REVIEW: Ferdinand

Ferdinand's recipe:

1. A cup of jokes
2. Two big scoops of action
3. A large bowl full of colour
4. One huge tablespoon of life lessons

Mix it all together and voila! You've got yourself a movie full of surprise, laughter, and moments that make you say "awww".

For the love of flowers

Ferdinand with his family and friends doing what he does best. Sniffing flowers. (Blue Sky Studios)

Ferdinand is a young, lovable bull from Casa del Toro (Home of the Bull), a training area and barn in rural Spain. What are his interests? Sniffing flowers and making new friends, of course! But here's the thing, bulls should want to go to Madrid and fight for glory in the Plaza de Toro (bullring), not sniff flowers. At least, that's what all the other animals keep telling him.

When his dad doesn't come back from a showdown against a matador (a bullfighter), Ferdinand escapes the ranch and is adopted by a family who lives on a farm. He finally gets to sniff all the flowers he could ever dream of, and even attends flower festivals (yes, this is a thing). Sadly, his peaceful new life comes crashing down when he is mistaken for a dangerous beast and is captured and returned to the barn. There he is chosen to fight El Primero, the famous bullfighter who never loses.

Determined not to fight, Ferdinand rallies a misfit team and sets out on an ultimate adventure to return to his family.

Corrida de Toros

Lupe, Ferdinand and his pals Una, Dos, and Cuatro escaping from the ranch. Who knew hedgehogs could drive? (Blue Sky Studios)

The filmmakers use the traditional Spanish bullfight to tell this story. What is Corrida de Toro (bullfight) you ask? Bullfighting is a physical contest that generally involves matadors attempting to publicly subdue a bull. Corrida de Toro is considered one of the symbols of the Hispanic culture.

A typical bullfight features six bulls, three matadors, and a crew of assistant bullfighters. The entire event can last up to four hours.

Bullfights are not only organized in Spain, but also in Portugal, France, and part of Latin America. Spain has the longest bullfighting season, and is where most bullfights take place.

Never judge a bull by its cover

Ferdinand and Nina on their farm. (Blue Sky Studios)

Will you shed a few tears when you watch this movie? Possibly. Will you learn some valuable lessons that you can take with you throughout life? Absolutely. Ferdinand will show you that violence is not the answer. You'll see how friendship and love are some of the best things you can give to someone. And above all, you'll see that throughout the movie, Ferdinand never once lets anyone define who or what he is.

Still on the fence about seeing this flick? You can watch the trailer below.