A bird’s egg stumbles out of a nest and makes its way to the home of a family of mice. It hatches, and out pops a singing, curious robin ready to be loved by the family before her. In Netflix’s cheery, warm animated short, Robin, Robin, a young bird finds her worth and learns that the ones who raised her are her family–even though she doesn’t look like her.
Robin fits right in with her family even though she has longer bird legs and a wide wingspan. Along with her mouse dad and siblings, they sneak into the homes of humans to steal crumbs left out after a big meal. They aren’t trying to be noticed so they can return night after night, but Robin’s enthusiasm and knack for singing sometimes leads to a scuffle. Not only do they have to creep around people, but cats are always a danger.
Robin wants to make up for her mistakes to her family, so she ventures out by herself to provide for them. She meets Magpie, a bird with a broken wing voiced by Richard E. Grant, and they plot to steal a star on top of a Christmas tree in order to be showered with the star’s hopeful light.
Robin, Robin is a gorgeous film. The opening sequence features hues of blue and green and it puts you right in the short headspace of these cuddly creatures. The best stop-motion animation invites you to want to touch everything. All of the characters look almost like felt stuffed animals, and the textures of the entire film are incredible. The snow looks like a white, cotton candy dream. The film has short, jaunty songs and a deliciously sinister voice performance from Gillian Anderson as the cat.
What the film effortlessly imparts to us is how you don’t need to have a certain type of family in order to be happy, and it doesn’t call attention to it either. This is an instant animated classic short, and it will make for the perfect holiday viewing. Robin, Robin is a wondrous tale of love and self-discovery.
Robin, Robin debuts on Netflix on November 24.
