Grand Prix of Europe review – rodents hit the road in easy-going family animation

The Guardian

a day ago

Here is a very ordinary family animation that gets an almighty engine rev from its all-star British vocal cast. Gemma Arterton is the voice of Edda, a perky little mouse who lives with her dad (a lovely performance by Lenny Henry), who is trying to keep the family's struggling theme park afloat. But budding racing driver Edda dreams of becoming a champion like her hero, four-time Grand Prix-winning mouse Ed (voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster).
The film has been produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Europa-Park, Germany's biggest theme park. But you have to wonder whether the park's owners have been left feeling short-changed. The theme park in the movie quickly takes a back seat to racing after Edda runs away to Paris to watch Ed compete; he is disliked by the other drivers on the circuit but adored by fans. Brodie-Sangster's vocal work as Ed is terrific, nailing a type of arrogance particular to the sporting world – equal parts diva and crashingly dull bore.
The film wins no prizes for originality either. Little Edda takes Ed's car out for a joyride and crashes, injuring Ed, who reluctantly agrees to let her secretly take his place on the race tour. It's a perfectly serviceable plotline, and unlike so many animated films for under-eights, with their needlessly complicated stories, it even makes sense. There is a mystery to solve too – one of the drivers is sabotaging the other cars. Could it be the sinister crow who wears black leather? Or is there something a bit suspect about the cute cuddly Swiss bear who always comes second and pronounces muffins as 'mooofins'? This is hardly in the fast lane of family movies, but it's cheerful, unassuming fun.
Grand Prix of Europe is in UK and Irish cinemas from 22 August