Directed by Mascha Halberstad and written by Tosca Menten and Fiona van Heemstra, a nine-year-old girl gets a pig named Oink as a gift from her grandfather. Voiced by: Hiba Ghafry, Kees Prins, Jelka van Houten, Henry van Loon, Matsen Montsma, Loes Luca, John Kraaijkamp Jr. and Alex Klaasen.
The animation style Mascha Halberstad has created for Oink is immediately nostalgic, throwing back to a golden age of children’s television filled with puppets and stop-motion. It’s unfalteringly wholesome, from start to finish it’s filled with heart and warmth but that doesn’t mean it can’t also have a silly sense of humour. The tone is lovingly light, it’s easy-going and family-friendly, there’s a great simplicity to it without it becoming only fun for kids.
What’s interesting about the story is it feels as though it’s actually geared towards a pro-vegetarian message, without wading into political or forced territory. It’s sitting on the sidelines but definitely present, it feeds into the way that the plot progresses. Outside of that, it’s a classic story of a child and their pet, trying to teach them tricks and falling head over heels immediately, just this time it’s a piglet. Although the toilet humour does become quite tired as time goes on, it’s the one element that feels geared towards solely children.
The voice work is another aspect that strongly throws back to classic children’s television, it’s filled with a bright, perky energy which is infectious. Each of cast bring to the table characters who have their own little quirks, they’re individual and highly adorable. Though they also have a good bit of sarcasm and the story takes a surprisingly dark turn in its ending, which makes for a nicely unexpected way to round the story out.
Oink is wonderfully wholesome, sweet and nicely quirky. It’s a loving nod to a simpler time, taking things back and creating a fun, scrappy adventure. The animation style is colourful and a joy to watch, it may occasionally approach the line of too silly and is highly pro-vegetarian but it’s also highly entertaining.
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