Long Way North (2015) User Reviews

What beautiful film!

[videosoul · 8/10 · 5 May 2016]

The animation was lovely (it's been a while since I've seen a new animated film).

It took me 10 minutes or so to get stuck into the style (mostly as I don't watch many animations these days), but I soon began to really appreciate the animation flow, textures and in particular the camera positions and lighting which were both really interesting, creative and important to the story in places.

The story itself is simple yet also very rich and moving, with educational messages that everyone should be able to take something from. It's definitely a film that everyone can enjoy: both children and adults. Some moments really struck an emotional chord within me... tears welled up at one point!

Is the story traditional? Have other films been made based on the same story?

I also enjoyed the music, both the soundtrack and the use of "popular style" songs. These took me surprise at first, and I felt sceptical at hearing them... but actually they worked really well, and by the end I was really enjoying their use.

When I have children I hope this will be a film they will love and enjoy, and take with them through to adulthood in the same way that I still have fond memories of some films I watched repeatedly as a kid.

Derivative but very well executed

[briancham1994 · 8/10 · 31 May 2020]

I've definitely seen this film before. It's essentially Atlantis: The Lost Empire without the blue lasers. But for what it is, it still stands on its own feet. We really get behind the protagonist when she is humiliated and we wish that she will prove herself. The animation style was minimalistic which helps to focus on the real details like the characters. My only complaint is that it ended a bit suddenly.

Why it is a masterpiece

[zachmosley · 8/10 · 31 May 2020]

I've only seen the English dub of this movie, it's quite a cool movie to watch. Been checking it out for a few years now! Watch Date: May 30, 2020

Straightforward and beautifully crafted

[PubHound · 7/10 · 23 November 2017]

In its simplicity, this animated movie proves to have a warm , beating heart that mainly resides in its linear and candid story. Between the wise choice of colors and the well crafted animation, the most beautiful aspect of it is how it ends, in a surprisingly touching and abrupt conclusion.

Surprising Little Gem

[larrys3 · 9/10 · 19 January 2017]

I didn't know what to expect from this French-Danish animated film directed by Remi Chaye, but it proved to be a surprising little gem. The animation is wonderful, the characters most vivid, and the storyline is excellent. OK, so some of the plot elements are pure fantasy, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying it anyway.

The story revolves around the headstrong aristocratic 15-year-old Sacha, who's living in St. Petersburg,Russia, in 1882. She's determined to somehow find the lost ship of her beloved grandfather Oloukine, who was regarded as a great explorer in Russia, but now a new scientific councilor is threatening to besmirch Oloukine's name and remove it from an Academy of Sciences library.

Sacha, who knows her grandfather's dream was to plant the Russian flag on the North Pole,has found a navigation sheet left by Oloukine, which indicates the search parties may have been looking in the wrong places. Sacha will run off from home, and eventually try and convince an icebreaker's captain to search again, and try and collect a million rubles reward offered by the Tsar. Along the dangerous journey,they'll be lots of suspense and tension for all concerned.

All in all, if you don't mind the film's poetic license for some of the plot elements, you may find this film to be exceptional and most enjoyable.

Pretty solid movie with a few flaws

[yuuki-23947 · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Overall the movie was lovely, but it had a couple of issues in my opinion:

• The French voices were not very good (that might not be very perceptible to a non-native speaker though).

• The animation and art was a bit bare sometimes (some of the sea and north scenes). That said, given that they probably didn't have a huge budget, the art was still very good overall.

• I didn't liked the ending much, the struggle part was really good and building tension, but her randomly finding her grandpa journal was an immersion breaker to me, and lead to a resolution that was too easy and not very satisfying.

Truly a work of art with beautiful, hand-drawn animation and an exciting adventure.

[rannynm · 9/10 · 23 January 2017]

There are animated films that don't use animation to its full potential and treat it as a tool instead of an art. Long Way North is not one of these films for it is a beautifully crafted animated masterpiece. Long Way North, at its core, is an adventure - not just a physical one, but an emotional one for the protagonist, Sacha. With so many dangerous moments, there is a multitude of action scenes filled with drama and intensity. This film will inspire you with its heartwarming story.

The story takes place in 1880s St. Petersburg, Russia. Sacha (Christa Théret) is a young girl from a very successful family. She doesn't have her eyes on politics or wealth. Instead, Sacha has her eyes on the North Pole. After her grandfather disappears on a voyage to the North Pole, she makes it her mission to find him. It won't be easy, she has never worked in her entire life and she will have to do it without her wealthy parents' support.

One thing that is truly spectacular about this movie is how quickly you understand the conflict, protagonist, plot and goals of the protagonist. Within the first five minutes, I knew the names of each character, Sacha's hopes and dreams, her challenges and why her character is unique. Very few films can achieve this with even a simple plot which shows how well the film's story is shown. Another beautiful part of the film is the animation. It is hand drawn and very colorful. The style perfectly suits the story and seamlessly shows the different elements of the movie, from big ice cliffs to the stormy seas. One aspect of the film I disliked is the voice-over acting and dubbing. The movie was recorded originally in French and is dubbed in English. Many times, the voices are very emotional and perfectly fit the characters, but at times the voices are too soft and sound as if they were recorded in a room somewhere and not where the action is taking place. Despite this, turning on sub-titles completely removes this issue and it is still a very entertaining and enjoyable film.

My favorite scene is when Sacha first leaves the large mansion, surrounded by the maids she grew up with. What appeals to me about this scene is how connected you feel to this young girl. You can feel her fear, excitement and wonder that she is experiencing. It is all achieved, thanks to the amazing story, wonderful animation and unique, but relatable characters.

Parents have very little to worry about in this film. In a few scenes, there is some mild language, but that's it. I recommend it for ages 5 to 18. It is intended to be a kid's film, but because of the mature and inspiring story, I believe that teenagers and young adults will enjoy it as well. I give it 4 ½ out of 5 stars because it only has one small issue with the dubbing and voice-overs, but it is truly a work of art and something the whole family can enjoy watching. This film is available on DVD on January 17, 2017 so, go check it out. You're sure to enjoy this adventure.

Reviewed by Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.

I love it!

[Disked · 5 September 2021]

Just finished watching it! I would definitely re-watch it someday, highly recommend you to watch this movie, the art style is just really good, the story, beautiful, I love this movie!

Animated 15 year old heroine's quest to find missing explorer grandfather could be Disney's next live action special

[Turfseer · 7/10 · 18 March 2019]

Long Way North is a 2016 French-Danish co-production featuring the work of first time animation director Rémi Chayé who eschews the ubiquitous CGI and embraces an old-fashioned hand drawn approach. The result in terms of animation is only partially successful. The film is set in 1882 St. Petersburg, Russia as well as the northern arctic expanses of that country, featuring landscapes that resemble beautiful (as one critic puts it) 1920s railway posters. The pastel-like still images are often haunting. Unfortunately, the drawings of people here receive short shrift, resembling Japanese anime characters, with a quick line for a nose and a mouth.

That said, the clever story makes up for these missed drawing opportunities. It's a tale that could be easily transformed into a Disney live action musical, with its 15 year old heroine Sacha proving her mettle after running away from home in a brave attempt to find her missing explorer grandfather, Oloukine and his lost ship, the Duvai-with the million ruble reward promised by the Tsar for the safe return of the ship and its crew.

The inciting incident occurs when Sacha discovers a note from her grandfather suggesting that everyone has been looking in the wrong place for the missing ship. When she attempts to alert Prince Tomsky, an arrogant advisor to the Tsar and member of his inner circle, he belittles her in front of her parents and guests at a debutante's ball. Tomsky considers Oloukine's disappearance an embarrassment to the Tsar and intends to prevent the naming of a newly built library wing for the missing explorer. Not only that, he also plans to ruin Sacha's father's chance to be appointed as the new ambassador to Rome.

After Sacha is blamed for Tomsky's machinations that humiliate her father, in true Wizard of Oz fashion, she runs away from home and ends up taking a train to the coast. There she discovers the existence of The Norge-a ship with a reinforced hull-which can travel to the icy Northern seas and hopefully aid in finding the Duvai. But before convincing the Norge's captain (Lund) to take her on a sea voyage in a quest to find the Duvai, she proves her (aforementioned) mettle by working as a waitress in the White Bear tavern run by the tough-as-nails proprietress, Olga. The narrative here is reminiscent of Melville's Ishmael in Moby Dick, who meets and interacts with a group of salty seafaring characters.

The cleverness of the writing is embodied in how Sacha negotiates passage on the Norge. She's first duped by the duplicitous first mate Larson (Captain Lund's brother) who promises her passage with payment of a set of her valuable earrings. This foreshadows the subsequent scene in which Sacha is left behind but is later able to confront Larson when the crew returns early on from an ill-fated expedition up north. In this confrontation, Lund learns of his brother's duplicity and,as he is an honorable sort, agrees to allow Sacha on board and look for the Duvai, after Larson admits that he gambled away proceeds from the sale of Sacha's earrings!

Much of the rest of Long Way North is based on the true stories of the expeditions of British Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Here Sacha and the crew must survive the elements--including navigating the ship on a storm tossed sea and using dynamite to blast through seemingly impenetrable ice floes. There are a series of exciting scenes including Captain Lund almost falling off a glacier and sustaining a serious leg injury (later he's carried on a cot after the crew decides not to abandon him in the icy expanse). The big emotional moment comes when Sacha finds the frozen corpse of her grandfather along with his logbook, which guides her and the crew to the Duvai-and eventual return to safety.

Long Way North was originally voiced in French with a later English dub. Having seen both, I must say the French version is far superior. This is a fairly sophisticated adventure story despite the overall "young adult" trappings. Take the kids to see it and wait for Disney to pick it up as a live action musical extravaganza!

Studio Ghibli story with spellbinding visuals

[waitungh · 9/10 · 16 October 2017]

Once started I couldn't stop watching it. As others have commented, this is a film that draws you in very easily and doesn't let go.

I love the mood of the piece, even though the spoken language is French, it is not too difficult to believe the Russian backdrop with its practical and down to earth characters who are a largely likable bunch. Though they are mostly lacking in sentimentality, yet they are gently encouraging and unexpectedly generous to the heroine through her hardships.

The visual style also suits the film perfectly and though deceptively simple, manages to fully convey the emotion of each character as well as the setting of each scene, which is at times hauntingly beautiful.

The story is a familiar one of perseverance in the face of adversity and it is easy to cheer the heroine on as she tries to adjust and overcome the obstacles she encounters.

The ending is a little abrupt until you watch the credits that continue the rest of the story, right to the close.

Touching, affirming and highly recommended.

Comfy movie with a spot-on OST

[Harhaluulo54 · 6/10 · 10 October 2016]

I have few things to complain about. The beginning wasn't the most promising. There was a really weird echo in the voice actors' voices in closed rooms. And my biggest complain is that there is no English audio in the blu-ray release, so the only quality varieties are DVD and amazon digital HD which is apparently on parallel with a DVD rip.

The art and animation are neat as I enjoy simplicity. Fairly original too. You don't see the same use of colors elsewhere. I do hope to see in on blu-ray in the future, but I would recommend watching it whenever you are in the mood for relaxing animation movie rather than to wait the BD.

The most impressive part is the atmosphere: how well the story, characters, art and music play along - making the movie a comfy, relaxing experience. Especially the characters reactions and different expressions were executed in a manner so impressive that it is hard to not let it noted.

All in all the movie was much better than I expected and I recommend watching it.

Awkward animation style, but somehow magically appealing.

[Mork_the_Borg · 8/10 · 11 November 2020]

It takes a wee bit of time to get used to the somewhat awkward 'arty' animation style, but overall the story is really intersesting and so are the various characters. At the very end you somehow want to see more and you actually start making up all these endings in your own head. I would say well done, so much better than most of the high-budget blockbusters that have zero contents and no value to offer. So, yes, do believe this movie deserves an 8/10.

Soon settles into its own pace to provide a methodical and captivating character-driven experience.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 8 September 2018]

'Long Way North (2015)' is certainly not devoid of problems, with perhaps the biggest being it's jarringly choppy - if delightfully simple - animation style that runs at a generous twelve frames per second and takes a long time to get used to despite looking pretty gorgeous in a cut-out kind of way once you do - or if you pause the piece at any point. A close second is it's really poor English dub (though I haven't heard the French original so I can't compare) that sees everyone other than the lead and a couple of others turn in performances as wooden as the hull of the ship most of the movie takes place on. After a slow start, however, the picture settles into its own pace to provide a methodical and captivating character-driven experience that doesn't quite stick the landing (finishing before a proper finale ever really occurs) but gets you essentially as invested as possible and delivers an inevitable emotional punch instead. Ultimately, it's an enjoyable and interesting watch throughout its duration that should work its charms on even the iciest of hearts. 7/10

BORING

[invisibleunicornninja · 4/10 · 26 November 2019]

I'll admit that I didn't get very far into this movie, but there were a lot of obstacles in my way. First, there's no kind of hook, or anything at the beginning that would make someone want to continue watching. Second the art and animation look pretty bad. Third, and this isn't entirely the fault of the movie, but the version I found was the English dub and it was terrible.

Wouldn't really recommend this one.

Imagining Russia's Early Arctic Adventures

[BabelAlexandria · 9/10 · 12 September 2020]

What makes this a great movie is its sympathetic, strong-willed heroine, and the amazingly beautiful animation, both of St. Petersburg's glorious imperial architecture and the arctic landscape. In that sense, it was a nice follow-up to Anastasia, but with a less romantic (if equally glamorous) portrait of Czarist Russia; the story has almost no historical basis, and if anything seems closer to British arctic adventures than Russian arctic exploration. It's also quite tense at times, and Sienna didn't like that Sasha's grandfather had died, but their connection is made stronger in the end through the shared, if differently experienced, discovery.

Sienna's rating: 9 stars Paul's rating: 8 stars Sebastian's rating: DNF (Watching Octonauts)

Unique

[sildarmillion · 8/10 · 4 November 2020]

It's not often we get a proper period piece in animation, so this was a real delight to watch. I can't really speak to the historical accuracy, but it FELT like a proper period piece at least. This is a story about how a privileged young woman learns to become independent and self-sufficient and I wish I had access to more media like this growing up.

Loved it

[jimvandemoter-50236 · 9/10 · 13 December 2019]

This is an example of what animation can be in the hands of a studio that has respect for animation and how great story telling can be. Granted it has it's flaws, one of the biggest for me is dubbing. I'm a purist. I would rather see a foreign movie in the original language with sub titles instead of dubbing. That said, the dubbing in this movie is better than most. The look of this flick is deceptive at first. It looks like simple cutouts then as I watched it I came to realize the attention to detail in what seems so simple. This kind of movie could never exist in the US, the huge corporate mentality doesn't care about great story, they just care about how many millions they can make and won't allow storytellers to have original ideas. All in all a beautiful piece.

Amazing

[Josephpr1990 · 10/10 · 25 May 2023]

I watched this 2015 French-Danish animated film for the first time on DVD 📀 in 2020 when I was thirty years old. It is absolutely amazing and I just love it. I thought I never saw any foreign animated films like that before in my entire life. The animation is so beautiful and colourful as well. It is about a young Russian girl named Sasha who sets out on an adventurous journey to find her adventurer grandfather and save her family's reputation. It is set in 1880s.

It may be perfect for anyone who is sick of watching soppy Disney animation (don't worry I still love Disney though)

It is probably one of the best foreign animated films of all time.

By the way I think I have a crush on Sasha.

very watchable indeed

[myriamlenys · 8/10 · 9 December 2020]

In "Tout en haut" a daring young girl undertakes a dangerous journey in order to discover what happened to her much-beloved grandfather. It is also a way of restoring her family's honour, as her grandfather stands accused of wasting quite a lot of His Imperial Majesty's money. Her journey will take her deep into a frozen world filled with cruel dangers and regal wonders...

"Tout en haut" is a beautifully drawn animation movie with a unique look and feel, which will appeal mainly to the more patient and contemplative kind of young viewer. It's got engaging characters and it contains landscapes and action scenes of remarkable invention and beauty. The tale being told will invite many a discussion about Mankind's age-old drive to explore new territories, even under terrible circumstances or at terrible cost.

A pleasure to watch, especially for those who have grown tired of hectic, over-busy animation films bursting with gags, pop references and superheroes.

Underrated and undervalued gem of a film

[tiaanb-18673 · 9/10 · 29 June 2021]

This film has most of what I love in a movie, a well showcased world, adventure, great art and animation and a perfect atmosphere with a just-as perfect soundtrack alongside it. Many characters in this film are very likeable, especially the Protagonist, some people might say 'of course the protagonist is likeable, it's the protagonist', but these days you can't say that for films half the time. The plot is fairly simple but that's part of what makes this so relaxing and fun to watch. The added romance was also a very welcome touch and it was adorable. Overall a great film and a must see for Art-, Animation- , Foreign-, and good movie-lovers. 8.5/10 for me but 9 rounded out.

A magnificient journey!

[klouk-23096 · 8/10 · 4 February 2021]

If you love adventures, 19th century and journeys across mysterious places, then this movie is for you! The beautiful style of Remi Chayé is here to make you enjoy this colorful and very cool story taking place in Russia and the Great North!

A story you will love

[rakrez · 10/10 · 20 November 2022]

Family, friendship and adventure are at the center of this very nice story. We saw it with our children and we definitely recommend for the emotions it generates and of course for the nice design style. Sasha and her love for the grandfather will conquer your hearts and you'd like to get into the screen and join her in the travel towards the North Pole.

This could also be a good occasion to discover the magnificent world of exploration and the people that made the history with their courage and thirst of new adventures.

The only negative point is that at the beginning the sound has some echo effect. We noticed this also on other reviews.

A movie with simple animation and story that masterfully manages to benefit from it

[lnu_shaman · 9/10 · 3 June 2023]

Quite a simple, but nonetheless charming and beautiful story from the world of underrated French animation. It is about a girl from a noble family of St. Petersburg, whose grandfather disappeared after an expedition to the North Pole. The grandfather has done a lot of useful and important things for Russian science, but the expedition was considered a failure, because an expensive and important ship, recognized as unsinkable, has disappeared. This was reflected in the family as a stain of shame, which Sasha, the granddaughter of the missing researcher, intends to wash away.

Many note the beautiful visuals and well-transmitted atmosphere of St. Petersburg, and it is impossible not to agree, the city and northern nature are beautiful, but it's still funny to see small flaws like a sign with the inscription in Russian, which literally translates to "Font Type".

As for the protagonist, Sasha is from a noble family, which is why it was very interesting to watch how she changes, learns to work and diligently wins the respect of an entire crew of experienced sailors.

In general, this is a very good, sweet, kind and touching work, which does not try to teach something high and complex and flows well with its story and simple animation.