Director: Mikhail Kamenetsky
Release Date: 1984
Rating: ★★
Review:
Mikhail Kamenetsky (1924-2006) was a director of numerous puppet films made between 1965 to 1995, almost all featuring animals.
In his ‘Wolf and Calf’ an old wolf steals a calf to eat, but he starts to like it and raises it like his own son. In the end, when a hungry bear, a vixen and a boar try to steal his loot, he is saved by the calf itself, which has turned into a strong bull.
‘Wolf and Calf’ is a fable-like children’s film with an old-fashioned look. The designs of the protagonists look like they have come from a 1950’s toy shop. Kamenetsky’s puppet animation is elaborate, and actually quite good, if erratic, but the film suffers from an excess of dialogue, which not always seems to correspond with the animated characters themselves.
Moreover, the film’s world is rather inconsistent, stretching its believability: the wolf, like all other animals, is highly anthropomorphic and even lives in a house, alongside humans, who are afraid of him nonetheless. The calf, on the other hand, remains on all fours, and stays an animal, even though it is able to speak.
Watch ‘Wolf and Calf’ yourself and tell me what you think:
Dr. Grob's Animation Review 
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April 25, 2017 at 06:36
Chris Sobieniak (@ChriSobieniak)
Moreover, the film’s world is rather inconsistent, stretching its believability: the wolf, like all other animals, is highly anthropomorphic and even lives in a house, alongside humans, who are afraid of him nonetheless. The calf, on the other hand, remains on all fours, and stays an animal, even though it is able to speak.
That believability is certainly stretched to its limits given the odd anthro/non-anthro approach there. I wonder now of that goat who gave the milk to the wolf did so? I guess she had to do it herself inside that little shack on the side of the house. It doesn’t help matters that she’s apparently a slave to a human the wolf first encounters as a bandit, then later has no qualms about a wolf doing his wood chopping to even invite him into his own house to heat up the stove and bring home a nice piping hot stew for all his trouble! The fact that the calf grows ridiculously fast for such a short time frame of the story is another matter altogether!
Again, I’m sure we’re putting too much thought into what was obviously a children’s film that just needed to make its 10 minute quota as usual for the studio. There had to be a beginning, middle and end and we’re done. It’s certainly a “leave-your-brain-out-at-the-door-before-you-come-in” type of film!
April 25, 2017 at 06:35
Chris Sobieniak (@ChriSobieniak)
Moreover, the film’s world is rather inconsistent, stretching its believability: the wolf, like all other animals, is highly anthropomorphic and even lives in a house, alongside humans, who are afraid of him nonetheless. The calf, on the other hand, remains on all fours, and stays an animal, even though it is able to speak.
That believability is certainly stretched to its limits given the odd anthro/non-anthro approach there. I wonder now of that goat who gave the milk to the wolf did so? I guess she had to do it herself inside that little shack on the side of the house. It doesn’t help matters that she’s apparently a slave to a human the wolf first encounters as a bandit, then later has no qualms about a wolf doing his wood chopping to even invite him into his own house to heat up the stove and bring home a nice piping hot stew for all his trouble! The fact that the calf grows ridiculously fast for such a short time frame of the story is another matter altogether!
Again, I’m sure we’re putting too much thought into what was obviously a children’s film that just needed to make its 10 minute quota as usual for the studio. There had to be a beginning, middle and end and we’re done. It’s certainly a “leave-your-brain-out-at-the-door-before-you-come-in” type of film!