Magic Gadget Story
After being dumped by the roadside a small cat has a close encounter with a ferocious dog before coming across a curious mansion belonging to an aging magician and packed full of his magic tricks and unusual assistants including a rabbit and a mouse. Whilst some welcome the cat, who the magician names Thunder, to their home others are less than welcoming. But when the old magician is hospitalised the cat gets to try and save the day as the magician's nephew plans to sell the mansion and all the magical inventions.
When ever one of the non big players come up with a movie, especially when we are talking about animated movies, it is far too easy to call it a copycat or derivative. And that is how some might feel about "The House of Magic" an animated product with French roots because as an adult the storyline felt too familiar. Firstly we have the magician's mansion where all his inventions are alive but hide when ever someone else shows up. As such with lots of little toy like gadgets it is reminiscent of "Toy Story" and then with the storyline surrounding the magician's nephew trying to sell the mansion and the gadgets when the old magician ends up in hospital it is just as familiar with these little gadgets and animals trying to save the day.
But of course that is how "The House of Magic" comes across to someone who has spent years watching and reviewing movies and I would imagine that it would be very different for young children experiencing this sort of storyline for the first time. And to be honest for the age group this movie is made for it is as much about the visuals as the story and the animation work is good; in fact some of the animation work is charming. The trouble is that "The House of Magic" is never memorable and that is because of the failure to really deliver characters who you really get involved with. Yes there are fun comedy set pieces but no real main attraction characters to really warm to.
What this all boils down to is that "The House of Magic" is an enjoyable animation but one which I would say the younger you are the better it works because between the storyline familiarity and lack of character connection makes it less entertaining the older you are.
