Rölli ja metsänhenki (2001) User Reviews

A beautifully filmed fairytale

[coyets · 7/10 · 20 March 2006]

In a struggle between good, represented by the wood elves, and evil, represented by the trolls, the conflict is reduced to a level that, whilst far from banal, is perfect for family entertainment. Unlike, for example, the Lord of the Ring trilogy, the evil creatures, while scary and aggressive, are also cute and amusing. The elves, on the other hand, capture the fascinating beauty portrayed in that famous trilogy without the overtones of aggression. Every scene involving the elves conveys a harmony of which this beauty is a principal feature. They wish to live their lives without having to battle for their freedom to do so. In the context of a fairytale, this seems to me to be perfectly legitimate. Olli Saarela, the director, displays a feeling for the beauty of natural colours almost as good as Franco Zefferelli in the countryside scenes of La Traviata, and contrasts them well with the darkness of evil.

The film is splendidly supported by the leading actor, Allu Tuppurainen, and actress, Maria Järvenhelmi, who nicely capture the nuances of emotion as both the thematic struggle and their personal relationship follow their twisting course.

There are a few musical interludes, well woven into the storyline, but these do not reach the heights of the visual and narrative aspects of the film.

The whole film exudes a fairytale atmosphere, and evokes an urge to learn how the story unfolds, right up to the very end. It is very good family entertainment.

A Finnish fantasy tale

[LtnRipley · 9/10 · 6 December 2004]

Wonderful children's movie that keeps also the more grown up viewers interested all along the way.

The director succeeds combining a good story, different kinds of character personalities, and the technical implementation, into a one very working title.

The beautiful Finnish nature supports this fantasy tale, that tells the classic battle between good and evil, in it's own personal "goblins" vs. "elfs" way.

The technical implementation is very demanding at times, the goblins remind me the desert folk from "mad max 2", but the team handles creating the wardrobe, the goblin city and other parts very well. The budget is not very big, but the love for making good movies has inspired the team to finish every little detail with care.

Both thumbs up for this whole family's movie.

Story about friendship

[TuuliL · 10/10 · 13 September 2002]

I think this is another Rölli-movie... This is wonderful and cute film for all "odd creatures" with great Finnish actors and actresses like Allu Tuppurainen (of course), Maria Järvenhelmi, Peter Franzen, Kari Hietalahti, Samuli Edelman. Rölli-tribe ashores to the land, which is allready own by forest goblins. Nice goblins are scared of the "horrible" Rölli-tribe and run away, but one of them, Milli, believes that Röllis aren't bad, and quietly befriends with one Rölli. Meanwhile their tribes start a war, and it is Milli's and Rölli's job to stop their tribes to kill each other.

A wonderful dreamlike fairytale

[vpsh66 · 10/10 · 12 February 2002]

This film is a truly beautiful little fairytale film.A very nice continuance for director Saarela and for actors Järvenhelmi,Franzen and Edelmann.This film tells a story about getting a new friend and sticking with her thru thick and thin.As the film says love can beat the death and can make a difference.Director Saarela can make all types of films you can tell:Rukajärventie (Ambush) is a magnificent war film,Bad Luck Love is a story about love in suburban hell and about gang wars and now this beautiful fairytale.Totally awesome !!!

Before LOTR, there was Rölli

[sini-200 · 10/10 · 18 December 2021]

Rölli ja Metsänhenki is a movie for everybody, it has it all: great cast, meaningful storyline, amazing makeup and costumes, beautiful Finnish landscapes, wonderful ost and of course with important message. Above all, it is a great family film about the good and bad, the relationship between wooden elfs and "bad" looking röllis.

It portrays the harmony between good and evil well, and the nature is beautiful. You can see how great the costume team did with the elven costumes, all green and nature, all pure. And then röllis with dark and brown colors, making them seem like the total opppsites. What is great about it, is the amazing story of the unlikely friends, Milli and Rölli. Those two who seemed unlikely friends from the start, and since they were almost literamly enemies - but overcoming that by learning they arent that different after all. This movie can be compared to Lotr very well, because it does have very much similarities, but for children,even it is a movie for all ages.

And the important message shines through: how even if you are different, come from different background and culture, or just look different than others; in the end, it doesnt matter. This movie was a head of its time.