They say that there is a first for everything. Through a strange set of events I watched Uglydolls on a flight to a work conference in Thailand and now, instead of being out by the pool (lets be honest - I'm a white guy so I'd be as red as a lobster in under a minute) I'm hunkered down in my wonderfully air conditioned hotel room writing this review. There's only two movies that I hadn't previously seen that I really enjoyed on a plane. The first was The Lost City of Z and the second is Uglydolls. Its a wonderfully animated, sweet film with a message not just for kids but for us adults too. 

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In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weirdness is celebrated, strangeness is special and beauty is embraced as more than meets the eye. After traveling to the other side of a mountain, Moxy and her UglyDoll friends discover Perfection - a town where more conventional dolls receive training before entering the real world to find the love of a child. 

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At the heart of Uglydolls is a story about a bunch of dolls that are different. Quite unlike the perfect dolls in the town of Perfection, these dolls are missing noses, only have three teeth, or have little bat wings. Throughout the course of the film as Moxy strives to be 'perfect' she realises that she doesn't have to be anyone else a part from who she is. A timely message for kids and adults alike. 

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The story is fun, inventive, and laugh out loud funny (I had to stifle a few chuckles while people were sleeping on the plane). The characters are all loveable but especially Babo, the giant doll who hides ladders, cannons, and helicopters in his back pocket.

 

Not since Happy Feet can I remember a non-Disney animated film that contains singing numbers. From Couldn't Be Better to Today is the Day all the way through to Unbreakable, the songs are inventive, catchy, and heartwarming. You'll be humming them long into your week. 

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While the animation might not be as intricately vast as other animated films, the world of Uglyville is detailed and expansive and the fuzz of the dolls is completely realistic as well. 

 

A colourful, filled with catchy songs, heartwarming animated film, Uglydolls is the needed reminder for both adults and kids alike that we're all different and thats something that we need to celebrate.