Davie & Golimyr

sometimes it takes failing a test in order to prepare for a much larger one...
Davie & Golimyr tells a story based on David and Goliath from the Bible. This animated short film for young children is charming. Much of the story is told in rhyming verses and the characters and scenery are drawn with great attention to detail. The movie uses great techniques to capture the attention of young children--people wear hats with people living inside of those hats; and there is a windmill that starts if you sneeze! The plot moves along at a good pace and overall the film should hold a young child's attention very well. The film also aims to tell children that with faith in themselves and a high power they can do just about anything. Incredibly, this movie does it all and more in just 45 minutes. Excellent!

David, who represents any young child, wants to be all grown up right away so he can be a famous and triumphant warrior for his people, The Zites. Unfortunately, Davie is just too young and too small--five years in a row he fails the test to become a warrior...

Intriguing look, decent animation, fun retelling of a biblical story
I first saw this on display behind a store window in Park City Utah during the Sundance Film Festival -- the look intrigued me, which is why I decided to pick this up and show my kids. The design is by James Christensen, the fantasy artist, and as with all of his work there is a whimsical and ingenious feel to the characters (little homunculi in some of the characters heads, wings on sheep, etc.). The animation itself is fairly crude, but in a good way -- it resembles all of those old Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. In the end, the style and story felt a bit kitchy to me but my kids were amused, and laughed fairly often. They had fun with this and I guess they are the target audience. I can't see myself ever sitting down to watch it again but I bet they will.

Very inspirational for all viewers
I am a regular viewer of faith channels on Saturday mornings, and I am fascinated by the imagination and creativity of so many directors and churches in producing so many wonderful shows for children. These days we need more of it, and not less. The story of David and Goliath is retold so many times and in so many ways that it has become part of our lives irrespective of faiths. One of the highlights of this DVD is hearing the voice of John Schneider who entertained so many fans as Bo Duke in Dukes of Hazard, and later in the WB drama Smallville. The story is told with the same moral theme; through faith in God you can conquer anything in life no matter how small or weak you are.

When a giant named Golimyr threatens the village of Zites, their King Sullic calls for a hero to fight the enemy. Davie, a peaceful pear grower with a sling, a sheep named Chop, and strong faith in God volunteers to save the village. At the end of the show the giant Golimyr repents for his meanness...

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