The adventures of the curious meerkat Tafiti, created by the bestselling children's author Julia Boehme ("My Girlfriend Conni"), have long been a staple of German children's literature.
For over ten years, these carefully designed books, combining narrative text with watercolor illustrations, have been published by Löwe Verlag and are aimed at children aged five and up. Tafiti and his faithful friend, a brush-eared pig, experience numerous adventures in the Namibian savanna. With "Tafiti: Across the Desert," directed by Nina Wels ("Latte's Hedgehog and the Magic Water Stone"), the beloved characters make their big-screen debut.
The animated film is not based on the original books but uses a computer-animated style of varying quality. The story unfolds episodically, lacking real character development and dramatic depth. Despite its themes of friendship, tolerance, and teamwork, Tafiti's feature film debut remains a conventional adventure film (2015/08), falling short of the visual and narrative standards of elite animation.
Tafiti grew up with his two brothers in a strict but loving meerkat enclosure on the African savanna. Safety is paramount; Opapa's lectures are relentless: strangers are dangerous, the outside world is full of predators; even a butterfly can become a distraction and, therefore, a hazard. But Tafiti is brave and open-minded. He is undeterred by Opapa's warnings. When an eagle snatches Tapy's brush ear, Tafiti saves him without hesitation, defying all the rules.
Following the spontaneous rescue, the brush proves difficult to let go of and follows Tafiti around his enclosure. Its presence distracts the family, and a dangerous snake enters the scene. When OPAPA is bitten, only one hope remains to save him from the snake's deadly venom: a legendary blue flower with healing properties. It grows far away, in the desert, in a mysterious valley. Tafiti wants to save his grandfather and, despite his family's fears, embarks on a perilous quest for the flower. And the weed, tormented by guilt, trots along behind him...
Unfortunately, the journey that takes Tafiti and the weed from the savanna, through subterranean lakes and mountain passes to the coast, traversing a wide variety of habitats, doesn't create space for the main characters to develop. Instead, the story hurtles from one setting to another. New challenges are introduced only to be resolved the next instant through sudden coincidences or abrupt, unmotivated changes of heart. The friendship between the two heroes also develops superficially, including the expected breakup, which is repeated just as quickly. Along the way, the duo encounters various animals, such as an egocentric elephant who tumbles headfirst onto another elephant, or an exaggerated lizard dancing on the scorching hot salt flats.
These appearances are meant to be funny, but they often serve purely functional purposes for the story's progression. The central message of friendship, cohesion, and openness fails to connect, as neither the characters nor the action develop sufficient depth. Character development is practically nonexistent. Tafiti is brave from the start and remains so. The talkative brush is awkward and well-intentioned from the beginning and also remains so. At best, an inner change is hinted at in the secondary characters, but it then feels rushed and immature.
Important themes such as prejudice and the differences between animal species are introduced but not fully developed. Even reminders of and rebellions against familiar distrust of strangers come across as rather contrived gestures. On his first excursion outside the house, he forgets all precautions regarding other animals, and afterwards there is never a serious conflict with his family.
“Tafiti Across the Desert” functions as a film conceived primarily as a franchise: colorful, loud, and fast-paced, but lacking narrative finesse and impact. The story follows the classic hero's journey, but instead of excitement or surprises, there's only a vague series of stations, encounters, and problems that never have any real consequences. The script relies on predictable landmarks and follows an overly schematic “Obstacle, conflict, solution, and on with it!” structure.
The animation quality also fluctuates considerably. While some fur textures and lighting effects are well done, some movements feel stiff. Overall, the world seems somewhat empty and lifeless. Tafiti's red bandana, whose creases settle equally in every scene, symbolizes the overall static impression. The humor is geared toward younger viewers: fart jokes, a rattling brush, and nonsensical side characters will elicit chuckles from toddlers, but it lacks an extra layer of humor for older children or adults.
Unfortunately, the warmth and serenity that radiate from the books' loving illustrations are completely lost with the computer-generated animation. A more individual, smaller-scale animation style, like "My Girlfriend Conni: Mau's Hangover Secret," would have been more suitable for the format and target audience. Instead, "Tafiti" tries to emulate international CGI projects, which, however, doesn't work with a limited budget and a lack of script refinement.
In conclusion, "Tafiti: Across the Desert" is a rather uninspiring cinematic adaptation of the popular children's book "Men of the Earth." The adventure, which races through the landscapes, fails to convince in both its narrative and animation technology, and lacks depth and warmth.
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