As the world of streaming gets bigger, Netflix has been growing its library with a massive list of new movies. But the new family film Bigfoot Family has been the centre of some controversy in Canada - so what’s all the fuss about?
The movie has been targeted by the Canadian Energy Centre (also known as the CEC or Alberta energy’s “war room”) for its supposedly aggressive and biased story. The CEC said the animated film is full of "misinformation" and "villainizes energy workers.”
According to them, the film "unfairly and inaccurately portrays the oil and gas industry before young and impressionable viewers." Some audiences, on the other hand, say the movie teaches kids about the dangers of misinformation in advertising and the consequences of both oil drilling and fracking.
Who’s right? Should kids see it? Is it truthful in how energy production and ethical energy business is conducted? Or is it an evil product of far-left groups to radicalize children against the energy sector? And what about the movie itself - is it entertaining just on its merits as a movie?
A feud like this shouldn’t be getting national attention, but since Bigfoot Family was the #1 movie on Netflix Canada for two weeks (and is still in the top ten), Oakville News’ movie critic is here to give some analysis.
The answer to most of the above questions is actually pretty simple. The main plot sees the eponymous Bigfoot (Roger Craig Smith) team up with Adam, his son (Jules Wojciechowski) to help protect a wildlife reserve from a supposedly “green” oil company that turns out to be engaging in bad mining practices in Alaska.
Let’s look at the two questions one at a time: Is the CEC right in that the movie unnecessarily “villainizes” people working in the energy sector? No. And is it a movie worth spending a fun family movie night watching? Also no.
First, the CEC is overreacting, but they do make some good points. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has a good reason to wage this silly Netflix war - the oil and gas sector is huge in Alberta, and he’s taken a pro-oil and anti-environmental stance for years in his policies. So he’s just as biased as the filmmakers. (Kenney is also a member of the CEC, a company that openly promotes Alberta's oil and gas much like the villains in the film do.)
Kenney is, however, right that the oil company CEO character (played by Grant George) is a ludicrous caricature. My problem isn’t the dangerous mining his company does, but the character is portrayed as a delicious, stereotypically Texan madman willing to murder Adam, Bigfoot, his family and even his own company’s employees to dig for “enough oil to flood the valley!”
Even if the filmmakers are right in that companies to extract more energy without government oversight is bad - that’s villainous. Suggesting these same CEOs are child murderers, like the one in Bigfoot Family - is positively dumb. They take the character and their actions way, way too far.
As for the rest of the movie, this stretch from reality (in that oil CEOs will blow up their own employees to execute vengeful schemes) could be forgiven if the other parts were any good. But it’s hit and miss, with several untied loose ends.
The film itself has an implausible set of events done by characters who make dumb choices every five minutes. The comedy is weak, the physical gags mostly unfunny, and the dialogue is so stilted and corny it hurts listening to the script.
The animation is surprisingly crisp, and the dialogue-free scenes, including a few action scenes, are the best by far. If this were an extended animated tale without talking (like the excellent Shaun the Sheep movies) it would’ve been much better.
Instead, the script was so appalling that while researching this story I learned that not only is Bigfoot Family actually a sequel to its even lesser seen first film from 2017 called The Son of Bigfoot, but none of the original lead voice cast came back for the second film. The actors are mostly replacements, and most of them sound like they couldn’t care less.
In conclusion: yes, the CEC is right in that the film is taking big artistic liberties in suggesting oil tycoons are literal cartoon maniacs. No, you shouldn’t listen to Jason Kenney and boycott the film altogether.
Should you watch it on its own merits as a film by itself? I’d also say no, but for families bored and looking for a G-rated night in, it’s message is at least heartfelt and harmless.
Bigfoot Family
4 out of 10
G, 1hrs 28mins. Animated Family Adventure.
Directed by Ben Stassen and Jeremy Degruson.
Starring Jules Wojciechowski, Roger Craig Smith, Lindsey Alena, Joey Lotsko, Skyloh Oostwald and Grant George.
Now available to stream on Netflix for subscribers.
