When you think of the wonderful world of Cheezy Flicks, you most likely think of bad horror movies and good ole' fashioned B-movies.

It's reasonable. That's really how the fine folks at Cheezy Flicks have made a name for themselves. Cheezy Flicks isn't just cheesy horror or so awful they're awfully fun B-movies. They do, in fact, feature just about every genre of film in their collection including, believe it or not, family films.

Welcome to Dunderklumpen, a 1974 animated/live action fantasy from Sweden hilariously dubbed into English with animation that is primitive yet strangely endearing. The action in the film centers around an animated character named Dunderklumpen who comes out from the woods one night in an attempt to find some friends to keep him company. He stumbles across the Wolgers family home and discovers toys owned by young Camilla and her brother Jens, and he brings the toys to life before whisking them back off to the woods where he lives. Dunderklumpen's newfound friends include a scaredy-cat lion named Lionel, a harmonica playing bear named Pellegnillot, Dummy the bunny and an obnoxiously demanding doll. Unknown to Dunderklumpen, Jens sees him kidnapping the toys and follows him to the woods where Dunderklumpen isn't really very keen on giving up his new friends.

Admit it.

You smiled while reading this description. You can't help but crack a smile, a giggle and maybe even a guffaw while contemplating the story of Dunderklumpen, an unusual little flick featuring what is unquestionably an early, really early, version of weaving together live action and animation. It ain't always pretty...in fact, it's frequently not pretty. But, strangely enough, it's frequently entertaining for young children.

At 97 minutes, the film is more than enough to keep the kiddoes happy for awhile and with a G-rating you can rest assured they won't be seeing anything they shouldn't.

As an added bonus, Dunderklumpen also features music from legendary harmonica player Toots Thielemans. The film actually still retains a bit of an iconic status in Sweden, where the film's characters are now used as mascots for children at a Swedish ski resort.

Really.

The film actually grossed over $5 million (Swedish) upon its release and, thanks to Cheezy Flicks, now has a home on US home video. Packaging for the film is rather basic with no DVD extras, though the actually DVD packaging is bright and delightful. Vocal work is fine, though there's no denying the dubbing into English is a bit off and, well, rustic.

For more information on Dunderklumpen, visit the Cheezy Flicks website.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic