London Film Festival: Yellowbird

Directed by Christian De Vita
Starring Dakota Fanning, Seth Green, Richard Kind, Christine Baranski, Danny Glover, Jim Rash, Yvette Nicole Brown and Elliot Gould

by Joanna Orland

Yellowbird is an endearing story told through beautiful animation.  Having strayed from his nest as a mere egg, the nameless Yellowbird lives amongst ruins and rabbits with only a Ladybug to claim as his friend.   Through a twist of fate and the encouragement of Ladybug, Yellowbird finds himself leader of a flock as they must migrate to Africa.  This is a classic tale of self-discovery as a lonely outsider finds his confidence, a new family, and even a name.

Based on the artwork of Benjamin Renner (Ernest and Celestine), Yellowbird has a very strong cast including the voice talents of Seth Green, Dakota Fanning, Danny Glover, Elliott Gould, Jim Rash and Christine Baranski.  Many adventures and mishaps ensue as Yellowbird leads his newfound flock to Africa. The characters Yellowbird meets along the way come to life through these excellent voice talents but none as prominently as Yellowbird himself, Seth Green.  No stranger to voice acting (Family Guy, Robot Chicken…), Green brings a youthful innocence to Yellowbird, but with the maturity of someone who’s refined his skill of voicing animation.  It’s no wonder Green has found more success in voice work than he has in on screen roles.  He is a charming delight.  With the rest of the characters being voiced by well known or familiar actors, Yellowbird amusingly becomes a game of guess the voice.

Yellowbird is lighthearted, emotional and humorous, and will no doubt capture the attention of children and their parents alike.