Moomins on the Riviera (Finnish title: Muumit Rivieralla) is a 2014 Finnish-French[3] animated family comedy film directed by Xavier Picard and produced by Hanna Hemilä,[4] who is also co-director.
Written by Leslie Stewart, Annina Enckell, Hanna Hemilä, Xavier Picard and Beata Harju, the English version of the film stars Russell Tovey as Moomin, Nathaniel Parker as Moominpappa and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Moominmamma.
Snorkmaiden is dazzled by the attentions of the playboy Clark Tresco and Moominpappa befriends an aristocrat called Marquis Mongaga, while Moomin and Moominmamma decide to move to the beach in order to escape all the glamorous extravagance.
The pirates follow the family back to Moominhouse upon spotting them with their cargo, but leave after discovering their gold is still on the ship, which has begun to sink.
A box floats ashore containing thousands of bugs uttering insults and bad language, which the group gathers into a bag to take with them.
The family struggles to fit in among the affluent residents, however Moominpappa soon becomes friends with Marquis Mongaga, an artist who admires his bohemian eccentricity, and Snorkmaiden begins to spend her time with Audrey Glamour, and playboy Clark Tresco, much to Moomin's displeasure.
After sleeping rough and being attacked by a resident's dogs, Mongaga decides to depart back to his home, thanking the Moomins' for their hospitality and leaving his statues as a parting gift.
Moominmamma releases the bugs from the bag to halt the officers, which quickly swarm over the town with a plague of insults and bad language, causing fights among the residents.
Lost in the fog, with the plants still on board having overgrown into full trees, the family are eventually found and brought back to land by Snufkin.
Additional roles from the English version of the film are played by Dominic Frisby, who also co-directed the English dialogue,[10] Ian Conningham, Alison O’Donnell, Bernard Alane, Bruno Magnes, Andy Turvey, Kris Gummerus, Glyn Welden Banks, Lee Willis, Sanna-June Hyde, Christopher Sloan and Leslie Hyde.
[12] When the participation rights with the Telescreen expired, Sophia Jansson became interested in the idea of animated film based on the Moomin comic strip story.
[16] Picard was not aware of the Moomin characters before he discovered them 20 years ago in Japan,[17] but he has been particularly fascinated by comic strips and has stated to want translate the art of Tove Jansson into animation.
[22] While the production crew felt that the Riviera is fun and dramatic setting, they have also added a side story at the beginning of the film, that takes place in Moominvalley, and where Moomins got their idea for the sea voyage.
[32] Sara Steensig of gbtimes was enthusiastic towards the film despite pointing out of Moominpappa's painful hangover and Moomintroll's bitter jealousy, but she notes after that "These are phenomena that adults will recognize but most children will not, and they are shown in a way that will not make young kids wonder about things they are not ready for.