Everything is sunny in Sunnytown, home of Sebastian and Mitcho, two industrious, fun-loving kids who happen to be friends of the good mayor, JB. The flowers are exquisitely colorful in Sunnytown; animals are well behaved, and folks toss smiles each others’ way. JB is doing a marvelous job fostering harmony and sunshine in the picturesque town.
Until he disappears!
Unfortunately his hot-headed assistant Mr. Twig takes over, building a gruesomely tall government building that blocks the sunshine and sends Sunnytown into dreary doldrums. If JB doesn’t return soon, Mr. Twig will automatically be made mayor and continue to destroy the town.
Sebastian and Mitcho are saddened and desperately want to free their town of Mr. Twig’s murky modifications, but Sebastian is pretty much afraid of everything. Then they find it—a message in a bottle from JB who has been stranded on Mystery Island, the ominous island for which Sebastian’s great grandfather was searching when he was lost at sea. JB has included an odd seed in the bottle, which grows into a tremendous pear overnight, crushing Sebastian’s house. However, Professor Glykose comes to the rescue, carving the giant pear into a three-story abode. When an anchoring rope breaks, the giant pear races downhill, dragging havoc through Sunnytown and ends up bobbing at sea with the three inside. It’s at this moment that Mitcho challenges Sebastian to continue on in search of JB, their only chance of saving Sunnytown.
Sebastian chooses courage as he, Mitcho and the professor battle dancing pirates, an erie bubbling darkness populated with ghosts and spirits, a huge mechanical sea dragon controlled by a nutty eccentric, and finally Mystery Island. Sebastian is awed when the spirit of his great grandfather appears to him, encouraging him to persevere. He finds he is able to risk his life for his comrades in a final attempt to get everyone off Mystery Island after his giant pear is shipwrecked.
The Dove Take: The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear is well scored and produced with colorful and interesting images and longer edits, which serve the storyline well. Guidance comes in the form of the great grandfather’s ghost, though images of spirits might frighten the littlest ones. Additionally, one mild expletive from the pirate knocks the film out of the Dove All Ages category, which is the intended market. Currently Dove awards the 12+ Seal to this film.
What to Talk About
This film portrays persevering character, growth in character and risking harm to save others. No prayer or faith in God is portrayed, although one character asks “Is that God?” And guidance is given by a ghost. The bad guy builds an ‘evil’ building.
