September 30, 2023
by Carla Hay
“Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia”
Directed by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger
Available in the original French version (with English subtitles) or in a dubbed English-language version.
Culture Representation: Taking place in an alternate version of France, the animated film “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” (a sequel to 2012’s “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” features a cast of animal characters representing the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: Best friends Ernest (an elephant) and Celestine (a mouse) go on a trip together and get entangled with authorities who want to ban music that the authorities think is problematic and are looking for the leader of a resistance movement that wants to defy this ban.
Culture Audience: “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of of the first Ernest & Celestine” movie and animated films that combine adventure with social commentary.
“Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” packs a lot of serious issues (such as government oppression and family conflicts) into an engaging story that has whimsical animation and memorable characters. There’s enough joy to balance out the heavy topics.
Directed by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger, “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” was written by Guillaume Mautalent and Sebastien Oursel. The movie is a sequel to 2012’s “”Ernest & Celestine.” Both movies take place in an alternate version of France where there are talking animals.
In “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia,” Ernest the bear and Celestine the mouse have a mishap when Celestine accidentally breaks Ernest’s rare violin. He tells her that they have to go to Gibberitia to find the person whom Ernest says can repair the violin.
The encounter a storm on the way but make it to Gibberitia, where they find there are strict rules in place about music. The police say that only the C note is allowed in Gibberitia. Anyone caught violating this “musical agitation” law can be arrested. Someone named Octavius is an outlaw for this reason.
Ernest and Celestine also find out that the police in Gibberitia are looking for someone known only as EFG, who is considered to be the leader of the “music agitators.” Most of the movie is about the mystery of EFG and EFG’s real identity. Viewers will also learn some interesting facts about Ernest, who visits estranged members of his family. The friendship between Ernest and Celestine evolves through a deeper understanding of what Ernest has been through in his past.
“Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” adeptly balances the story’s comedy and drama. It’s the opposite of the slick, computer-generated animated films that get churned out by major corporate studios. The movie evokes a tone of simpler times and can be enjoyed by people of many different generations.
GKIDS released “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” in U.S. cinemas on September 1, 2023. The movie was released in France on December 14, 2022.