THE OLD MAN MOVIE: LACTOPALYPSE (2019)

The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse, Vanamehe Film (2019)
Directed by: Mikk Mägi, Oskar Lehemaa
Written by: Mikk Mägi, Oskar Lehemaa, Peeter Ritso
Starring: Jaagup Kreem, Jan Uuspõld, Mikk Mägi, Märt Avandi, Oskar Lehemaa

THE OLD MAN MOVIE: LACTOPALYPSE (2019)
aka Vanamehe film
Directed by Mikk Mägi and Oskar Lehemaa
Estonian Language with English Subtitles

Three kids are dropped off by their parents to stay with their grandfather in the countryside. As a milker, it’s Grandpa’s job to make sure that his cow is milked every single day without fail to avoid the catastrophe that occurred decades previously, which saw famed local dairyman Old Milker lose his livelihood following the explosion of his unmilked cow. Fed up of having to muck out the stable block the cow shares with the ever flatulent pig, the kids decide to let the mistreated cow loose from her bindings. When Grandpa realises the cow has escaped the next morning, and with the villagers banging down his barn door for their daily dose of lactose, he has to find his prized heifer fast – not only to save his own livelihood but the life of his cow’s too as the disgruntled Old Milker sets on the trail after them, with the intention of preventing the impending lactopalypse by eradicating the cow problem once and for all.

Winging its way from Estonia is THE OLD MAN MOVIE: LACTOPALYPSE – a fantastic, zany animated comedy about a cow on the verge of exploding. If that brief summary doesn’t make you want to watch this movie then it might not be for you. But for us immature, child-at-heart types, who find the idea absurdly amusing, you’ll be in for a treat with this absolute hoot of a movie which is aimed squarely at older teens and adults rather than kids.

Placing the kids with their grumpy, old-fashioned grandfather is a stroke of genius as the two generations are forced to work together towards a common goal. The thought of spending the summer holidays with their old grandfather doesn’t fill the kids with excitement. Well, except for Mort, perhaps. Brother and sister Priidik and Aino, like most teens, are more interested in playing on their mobile phones than taking in the country air but younger brother Mart seems thrilled to spending time on the family farm, and he himself, despite his tender age, is quite the engineer of gadgets. As expected, the kids are forced to do some manual labour on grandad’s farm whilst his interests lie elsewhere (mainly milking his cow). The kids find that shovelling poop is as dire as it sounds, especially with a flatulent pig and homicidal cockerel in their midst, but the last thing any of them expect, including grandpa, is to embark on a 24 hour adventure that will change all their lives.

What I loved about the movie is that grandpa is initially seen as the bad guy but quickly turns into an anti-hero. Yes, he mistreats his poor cow but at the same time he cares for her more than he’ll ever admit. When his cow’s life is in danger from the crazed local Old Milker, he’s prepared to do what it takes to save his cow from ultimate destruction, be it from an exploding udder or from the savage hands of Old Milker. Priidik and Aino are along for the journey, which works as much as a bonding exercise as it does a quest to ensure the cow’s survival. The heartwarming story is interlaced with some tongue-in-cheek and adult humour, both the bloody and toilet kind, with some incredibly funny sections that owe a lot to the work of the animators who bring these characters to life.

Something I quickly picked up on throughout the running of this rib-tickling animation is the detail they have gone to with the models and set design. The tree air fresheners swinging from the rear view mirror, the bottom of the van sprayed with mud as it races through the woodlands, and the dust spraying up from the farm path as the tractor rolls by. This level of detail shows the dedication of the filmmakers to make this story feel as real as possible within its animated world. Clearly they wanted to achieve something authentic, that you’d take for granted in a live action film as something which naturally occurs, but could be so easily overlooked when creating an animation like this. Let it be known that this viewer appreciated these details and is ever so glad the filmmakers went to the lengths they did to include them.

Charming and hilariously quirky, with quite a few moments that had me laughing out loud uncontrollably (farting pig and old tree, I’m looking at you), THE OLD MAN MOVIE: LACTOPALYPSE is an uplifting feat of stop-motion animation that is just the remedy for anyone looking for a slice of upbeat fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

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The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse will have Talent Q&A screenings starting between 24th – 29th May 2023, with UK wide screenings from 2nd June 2023.