The Triplets Of Belleville

You wait a year for a great grown-up animated feature then two come along at once. But The Triplets of Belleville - which has taken time to appear after its Oscar nomination and festival showings last year - is a long way from the world of Pixar's The Incredibles.

It is just wonderful in its own grandly Gallic, hand-drawn-meets-computer-animated way.

It's as cute of character as it is black of humour, with its tale of a brave grandma, her cycling obsessed grandson, their fat dog Bruno and kidnapping. Oh and the singing group of the title - they may be old enough to be Charlie's Angels' maiden aunts but these frogs' legs-chomping Andrews Sisters-like old dears are a triple threat when it comes to facing the square-shouldered French mafia.

The work of French-born Canadian resident director Sylvain Chomet brings to mind Tin Tin, meeting the slapstick of Tex Avery and the grotesque charm of Tim Burton's animated excursions. Only replace this gothic bent with an obsession for a mythical France that runs from hot jazz to the country's most famous cycle race.

Doting grandma Madame Souza encourages her orphaned grandson Champion into the saddle of a tricycle, a few years later he's out chewing up hills on his racing bike with the little old lady as his unwavering coach. Only while competing in the Tour de France, Champion is kidnapped and taken away to Belleville (a satirical New York) with Madame Souza and Bruno in hot pursuit.

There she falls in with the triplets, who might be past their prime, but who decide this granny from the old country deserves help.

Its illustrations feel the work of a singularly askew and old-fashioned vision, which revels in exaggerated details, whether the massive thigh muscles of Champion or Madame Souza's fearless gaze from behind her little specs. And poor fat Bruno - he's a dog with a spare tyre and in one scene he becomes one.

It's got laughs, thrills and no dialogue to get in the way. But the hot jazz of the soundtrack will have you humming tunes such as Belleville Rendezvous for hours afterwards. A delight. 

DIRECTOR: Sylvain Chomet
RATING: PG (adult themes)
RUNNING TIME: 81 mins
SCREENING: Academy