Granny Mac's Meringues

The 2011 Royal Wedding inspired a host of creative projects in schools around the UK. This short animated film was made by the children of Bruntisland and is one of the more imaginative offerings.

At the centre of the story is the Queen. We can tell she's the Queen because she refers to herself as 'one' and when we first see her she's getting out of a chauffeur driven car, towing a dog. In short order she transmutes into plasticine animated form and takes a trip across the sea to Highland Island (on a ship called Dignity, no less), in search of the perfect hat to wear for the wedding.

One can't help but feel that the Queen would probably find life more fun if every royal outing were like this. When she arrives on the island she is rather unceremoniously told to walk, but everyone is friendly and after he shopping trip she gets to enjoy a nice cup of tea and a sit down. It's at this point, in Granny Mac's cafe, that an unfortunate mishap occurs, but you can probably figure that one out for youself. There are no big surprises here - it's a children's story, after all - but events are enchantingly played out with plenty of humour along the way.

The quality of animation here is a bit hit and miss but not bad for a first effort, and decisions about when to switch between different techniques have been well made. The plasticine characters have lots of personality and effectively capture the spirit of the island community, as well as an attitude to royalty that, whilst affectionate, is also cheerfully irreverent. It's not an outstanding film but it certainly has character.