Directed by Oleh Malamuzh and Oleksandra Ruban
Starring the Voices of Nataliya Denisenko, Artem Pivovarov, Nazar Zadneprovskiy, Oleg Skripka, and Elena Kravets

Mavka: The Forest Song is the first cinematic adaptation of the Ukrainian play, The Forest Song. While the movie came out in 2023, the play has been floating around in the country’s folklore for over a century, originally written in 1911 by Lesya Ukrainka – and no, she wasn’t the founder of the country, although she is a literary legend.

The new movie bills itself as ‘the most anticipated animated feature to ever come from Ukraine’, and I can’t deny that it’s probably the only one I’ve knowingly seen. It does an admirable job filling in viewers on the mythology and spirit of the country, focusing its sights on Mavka, a mythical nymph of the forest. Although the fairy tales told in real life talk about Mavkas, temptresses who lure men to their deaths in the forest, this take on the singular Mavka is more suited to a G-rated audience – although her sisters are still sirens who can’t help but resort to the ol’ lure-and-kill ethos they’re typically known for.

Admittedly, Mavka: The Forest Song applies a few broad and familiar strokes taken from Disney’s Frozen. For example, we have the magical girl discovering her powers who is too nice, shrouded by mean sisters and is overly trusting of her heart. Mavka ticks other Frozen boxes too. A funny little sentient inanimate object? You betcha. Musical numbers? Oh yeah. Possessing powers that enable her to control ice? Well, that’s where it gets a little more nuanced with Mavka, because she’s the spirit of the forest and can kind of control all the elements. She gets angry? Thunderstorms. Happy? Sunshine! As you can fathom, it is familiar, yet different enough to simultaneously co-exist. 

To be fair, I feel this is to be expected and is reasonable for a film entirely aimed at children. The jokes, the themes, the delivery of shocks and gags alike, it’s all catered to small children and their patient parents willing to sit through another light-hearted fairy-tale adventure. Something the adults would be remiss to expect children to spot however, is this animated feature’s lack of subtlety I felt it had in certain areas. Nevertheless, if I had kids, I’d take them to see Mavka: The Forest Song, even if they just wrapped up a Disney princess anthology. I believe the spirit of the forest captured here would enchant them. Luckily for me, I hadn’t seen a fairy tale kids movie in a long, long time, so 90 minutes of magic and Hijinx was a good lazy Tuesday night viewing for me. 

Mavka: The Forest Song is showing in 200+ cinemas nationally from April 6th.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Reviewed by Zak Wheeler for Moviedoc

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