Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 7, 2024

2012’s “Ernest & Celestine” (released in America in 2014) was a complete surprise. The animated French picture was small, preferring delicate artistry over expensive imagery, electing to put its energy into personality. The feature was an absolute delight, one of the best films of the year, and little was expected of the movie after melting hearts and hitting the funny bone the first time around. A decade later, there’s “Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia,” a sequel from a different creative team, out to recreate the pleasures of the original picture while finding a new event for the eponymous pals to manage. “A Trip to Gibberitia” is more plot oriented than its predecessor, but the follow-up is nearly as fantastic, returning to character quirks and connections while opening up this lovable world with fresh challenges for animal friends and, now, family.

Waking up from a winter hibernation, Ernest (voiced by Lambert Wilson), is ready to eat, while his best friend, Celestine (Pauline Brunner), is excited to have her friend awake again, eager to enjoy his company. An innocent attempt to revive Ernest’s musical interests results in the accidental destruction of his “Stradibearius” violin, and Celestine feels awful about the situation. Ernest admits repair could be achieved, reuniting with music store owner Octavious (Jean-Marc Pannetier) in his hometown of Gibberitia, but he has no interest in returning. Celestine won’t take no for an answer, embarking on a journey to Gibberitia, soon joined by her reluctant pal, with the pair slowly realizing that music has been forbidden beyond a single note. Tossed in prison by the musical police after he fiddles with an accordion, Ernest is reunited with his family, with mother Kamelia (Celine Ronte) and sister Mila (Levanah Solomon) delighted to see him, while his father, Judge Naboukov (Michel Lerousseau), is upset, pushing his son to stay in Gibberitia and become a bear of the law as he was originally meant to be.

Celestine’s excitement brings “A Trip to Gibberitia” to attention right away, with the little mouse ready to welcome her friend back from hibernation, though his sleep hasn’t gone particularly well due to strange dreams. All Ernest wants is breakfast, but he’s pulled out of grogginess by an accident, with Celestine’s enthusiasm accidentally sending her pal’s violin down the stairs. Such an event launches the story of “A Trip to Gibberitia,” with the bear wary of returning to his homeland, while such hesitation isn’t in the mouse’s nature, soon embarking on a trek that takes her up a snowy mountain, eventually saved by Ernest, who’s not about to abandon his loved one, also happy to complain about the situation any chance he gets.

Arrival in Gibberitia offers the production time to explore, with the bear nation changed since Ernest left, with all joy removed from the community as oppressive laws eliminate musical expression. A simple test of the situation puts Ernest in prison, and he soon reunites with his family, refreshed on their temperaments and expectations, with Naboukov still upset that his first-born left, turning his back on the judgeship prepared for him. Celestine is the audience surrogate, studying a strange town with fascist, patriarchal leadership, and “A Trip to Gibberitia” explores the might of the “musical resistance,” with the mysterious, masked E.F.G. attempting to bring additional musical notes to Gibberitia. A little WWII-style occupation antagonism is found in the sequel (including a secret club devoted to stage performances), but the picture is primarily tuned into Ernest’s crisis of family, reunited with a father who’s horribly disappointed with his son, but love remains between the bears, requiring work from Celestine to help restore what was lost.

Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a crisp sense of color, with the delicate palette preserved during the viewing experience. Primaries are rich and living spaces carry softer watercolor hues, along with a colder sense of community rule. Nuances in skies, greenery, and costuming are appreciable. Detail secures a good look at animation accomplishments, and area tours are open for inspection. Compression does have its struggles, with banding flaring up at times.

Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix is offered in English and French, with the latter the feature's original language, making for a more compelling listening experience. Differences between the mixes are limited, with both carrying great power when it comes to music, securing distinct instrumentation, fullness of sound, and low-end beats. Dialogue exchanges are also clear, tracking lively performance choices. Surrounds are active, handling circular musical moods and atmospherics with community activity. Panning effects are present, and sound effects are crisp.

Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (15:51, HD) is a look at the creation of "A Trip to Gibberitia," featuring interviews with producers Damien Brunner and Didier Brunner, co-directors Jean-Christophe Roger and Julien Chheng, and actors Pauline Brunner and Lambert Wilson. Working with a deep love for the original "Ernest & Celestine" books, the producers found success with the first feature, achieving a celebration of the literary efforts. Time passed, a television series was created, but interest in a sequel grew. Cameras follow Roger into the Folivari production offices, watching the animators at work, and Chheng leads the squad at Studio La Cachette. More production spaces are visited, capturing the team effort to bring the feature to life, with some of the staff young enough to be kids when the original movie was released. Creative inspiration is identified and voice work is examined. The construction of musical efforts is also analyzed. It all leads to the premiere of "A Trip to Gibberitia," held at the 2022 Annecy Animated Film Festival.

• Interview (10:45, HD) is a discussion of "Ernest and Celestine" with production Didier Brunner. The interviewee explores the story of the series, shares his interest in the project, and details his feelings on the script and the voice cast. Brunner walks through his thoughts on messages and audience response, and he grows frightfully pessimistic when examining themes of totalitarian leadership in the endeavor.

• Interview (12:16, HD) is a chat with co-directors Jean-Christophe Roger and Julien Chheng. The interviewees detail the story of "A Trip to Gibberitia," and their interest in the filmmaking opportunity. The partnership is analyzed, with the directors sharing the workload, dealing with creative challenges and design achievements. Voice work is also celebrated.

• Interview (11:16, HD) is a chat with actors Lambert Wilson and Pauline Brunner, who examine characterization and the material's connection with younger audiences, imparting messages of tolerance that might be valuable to kids.

• "How to Draw" (1:48, HD) is an animation lesson from co-director Jean-Christophe Roger.

• And an English Dub Trailer (1:41, HD) and a French Trailer (1:41, HD) are included.

Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There was a delightful simplicity to "Ernest & Celestine," which focused on the development of the central relationship. "A Trip to Gibberitia" is a tad more complicated, but the production doesn't allow subplots to slip out of control, always focused on character progression and family complications, which provides interesting dramatic heft as Ernest and his father deal with their divide, and Celestine is caught up in the fight of the resistance. It's not as soft as the original film, but "A Trip to Gibberitia" remains a lovely feature, maintaining sweetness as it deals with tender feelings and acts of communication. Animation is gorgeous, returning to a sublime watercolor-inspired world, and performances are perfectly expressive. A return to the "Ernest & Celestine" universe is unexpected, but the wait between pictures hasn't diluted the gentle wonderfulness of these characters.