Little Nicholas

It works as an ordinary children's film, but hardly as a treatment of the infinitely poetic and kind world of the Goscinny-Sempé duo. It is too bad that the creators are stuck halfway between stylization and civility. In this way, the impression persists that Little Nicholas would function much better as a cartoon character... The French essentially failed to do with the children's storyline what the creators of the Czech series We Were a Handful were able to do – to find a balance between the infantile and film language. In any case, Little Nicholas’s inconveniences don’t tend to offend, not even someone who grew up watching the show and is still one of its uncritical fans. (11/13/2009)

Little Nicholas will surely evoke mixed feelings in certain viewers, who are also enthusiastic readers of the well-known book series with this character, just as it is common in film adaptations of bestsellers. Film is simply a different medium and the book cannot be mechanically transferred onto the movie screen. Something will be omitted, something will be altered, and above all, the film as a visual art concretizes what literature works with imagination. On the other hand, from my perspective, the film turned out better than expected and it became a very decent family spectacle that has a chance to appeal to all generations. René Goscinny has written a series of books and the screenwriter and director had to fit their ideas into a single film. It is, of course, possible to perceive the film as a continuous sequence of gags and catchphrases, but this more sober approach suits it better. The acting is very good, and there is no overacting and there are plenty of comedic situations. The used stylization is civil, not the bombastic style we know from American productions. Overall impression: 90%. (11/22/2009)

The stories of Little Nicholas are simply magical. When it comes from René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé, it is, of course, an essential part of popular children's reading to be continued. Little Nicholas lives out his troubles in the orderly 1950s. His mom and dad deal with their problems in a completely separate adult world, and Nicholas and his classmates live somewhere else entirely, and that's where all the magic comes from. Laurent Tirard's film anchored my memories of reading these stories, reviving and making me laugh again in similar places to the book. I am absolutely satisfied. I hope that Nicholas and the other great characters will never be forgotten. (04/09/2012)

There was a time when I didn't go anywhere without a book about "Little Nicholas" in my hand. Those days are long gone, but Little Nicolas still has a special place in my heart. And so I didn't expect much from the adaptation. But I was mistaken. The adaptation is both unusually successful and, at the same time, unique. A pure embodiment of non-infantile family entertainment, which will often get more laughs from adults than from kids. Moreover, Nicholas’ misadventures in both forms have the special power to return you to your childhood, which is something that very few books and even fewer movies are able to do. And the fact that the film doesn’t compare to the original is not so relevant in this case, because I didn't even realize it until loooooong after I left the movie theater and had wiped away the last tears of laughter. (11/21/2009)

A great transfer of legendary books to the silver screen. The child and adult actors are well chosen and the familiar scenes are irresistible in their performances, the script is beautifully childish and naive and the whole film, stylized in attractive retro colors, looks nice... Little Nicholas was as good as it could be, and it couldn't have been any better. It will be enjoyed by young and old alike, and that's the way it should be. I give major bonus points for the great music by Klaus Badelt. (07/04/2010)