Albert: A Small Tree with a Big Dream

This Nickelodeon animated film is a ridiculously violent production for a holiday title aimed at the kindergarten crowd. And it's not the insightful violence of Disney's Bambi or Beauty and the Beast, but rather gratuitous, mean-spirited damage that is not mitigated by the story's superficial follow-your-dream moral or last minute redemption of a horrible, would-be killer character. Albert (voiced by erstwhile Saturday Night Live star Bobby Moynihan) is a tiny pine tree who yearns to be the decorated centerpiece in a city square. Escaping a greenhouse with his tree friend Maisie (Sasheer Zamata), Albert embarks on a long journey to be discovered, encountering obstacles along the way. The worst of these is a pathological cactus (Rob Riggle) with a grudge against Christmas. Stalking Albert over miles, he makes several attempts to murder him, including a traumatic scene at a wood mill. The animation is fine if hardly memorable, although there is something awkward about the image of potted trees hopping everywhere. It would be easy to forgive Albert's weaknesses and missteps if there was anything genuinely redeeming about the film, but there isn't. Not recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)