Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart DVD Review

From the producers of A Monster in Paris comes a whimsical musical fairy tale; Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock. 

“The greatest animated romance since Tim Burton’s stop-motion masterpiece Corpse Bride” -James Verniere, Boston Herald

This fall, step inside the imaginative story book world of the highly popular French novel La Mécanique du Cœur (The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart) and beguiled by  the wildly inventive adventures of Jack and Miss Acacia as they leap from page to the screen.  JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART  is available on DVD, two-disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital) and Digital HD. The Blu-ray Combo Pack allows viewers to enjoy JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART on the platform of their choice and includes spectacular movie presentation on Blu-ray, DVD and a digital copy of the movie. 

A film directed by Mathias Malzieu and Stéphane Berla and produced by Virginie Besson-Silla, EuropaCorp, the highly anticipated motion picture JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART is a visually opulent animated fairy tale set in an exciting period full of fabulous inventions, enchanting music and marvelous adventures. This superbly animated movie brings to life a unique tale of love and the acceptance of others through an awe-inspiring cinematic adventure filled with whimsical characters, stunning CG animation and unforgettable musical numbers.

 JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART is set in the late 19th century Edinburgh, where little Jack is born on a day so cold that his heart remains frozen. Madeleine the midwife saves his life by inserting a cuckoo clock in place of his defective heart. It will work, she warns him, as long as Jack observes three golden rules. First of all, he must never touch the hands of the clock. Secondly, he must control his anger. And last, but certainly not least, he must never, ever fall in love. The moment Jack sets eyes on a young girl singing on a street corner, the hands of his clock-heart begin to race. Desperate to find her again, Jack launches himself into a romantic quest that will lead him from the lochs of Scotland, to the city of Paris and all the way to Andalusia.

 Adapted by Mathias Malzieu from his own bestselling novel and the gold-selling album by his band Dionysos, JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART features an English-language voice cast of Orlando Seale (Pride and Prejudice), Samantha Barks (Les Misérables ),  Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow), Stéphane Cornicard (Saving Private Ryan) and Richard Ridings (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Who Framed Roger Rabbit).  

 The French language version boasts an exceptional French voice cast of Mathias Malzieu, pop singer Olivia Ruiz, award-winning slam poet Grand Corps Malade, Jean Rochefort (Prêt-à-Porter, Ridicule), Rossy de Palma (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), popular singer and musician Babet, Marie Vincent (La Horde), Emily Loizeau (Il Était une Forêt), Dani (Avenue Montaigne), and singer-songwriter Arthur H (H-Man).

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart felt like a Tim Burton movie in many ways.  It is dark, whimsical, strange and full of eccentric characters but still quite beautiful and entertaining. 

I would not recommend this title for younger children and it is rated PG.  I think younger children wouldn’t really “get it” and would find the film too dark, plus there are suggestive jokes and song lyrics so it is probably best for tweens and up.  If you would allow your child to watch one of Tim Burton’s animated movies such as  The Corpse Bride or The nightmare Before Christmas, than this title should be perfect for you. 

I do like how odd and dark the whole thing is and will be watching it again, I can see Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart quickly becoming a cult classic. 

Special features:

• Character Vignettes (in French with English subtitles)
• From Book to Screen Featurette  (in French with English subtitles)

Visit www.jackandthecuckooclockheart.com for more information about this movie.

Elizabeth Lampman

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!