Buffalo Kids Review: An endlessly lovable film that deserved so much more
I expected generic, animated fare when I walked into the theater to check out Buffalo Kids. All I knew about it was that it looked cute and, unfortunately, wasn't doing well at the theaters. However, after watching 28 Years Later and its sequel earlier in the day, I wanted a nice, cute film to balance out that experience. And what I got blew my expectations out of the water, becoming one of the cutest, most fun animated movies I've ever watched. This movie is fantastic in practically every way, and, as such, I can't wait to talk about it in today's Reel Ranker review.
As always here on the Reel Ranker, I will start with the negatives and save the best for last. Honestly, Buffalo Kids is a film that has very few flaws in my mind. I can only think of three nitpicks and one genuine flaw. First, there are a couple of sequences that could've been made a tad more concise to be more potent. Second, there's one part where the film, for some reason, oddly claims a brunette is a redhead. Third, the Native American chief's voice actor wasn't really selling the performance. And, the only one that actually affected my experience is that there's a whole sequence in the climax that relies on fart jokes, and it's honestly quite gross and is drawn out far too long past the punchline. While the film has a far better excuse to make such jokes than every other animated film I've watched, I think simply implying that the rest of the victims' bowels were in danger would've benefited the film and honestly made it funnier.
While my main negative may make this film sound like it's immature and juvenile, trust me, it's not. That scene was very obviously thrown in to give the young kids a laugh, but that doesn't mean the rest of the film is anything like that. This film is a truly special animated film that fires on all cylinders throughout its runtime, bringing the audience along for a grand adventure full of beautiful moments that are enough to make a grown man cry and then some.
At the heart of this film is the story of two orphans, Irish immigrants who travel to America during the Westward Expansion to reach California and live with their uncle. However, everything takes a major turn when the train is taken over by slavers, and the two siblings and their new friend Nick have to save the day.
The plot here is quite simple. But Buffalo Kids, outside of the aforementioned childish jokes, is a magical experience. If you've watched The Polar Express, this film is quite similar in many ways. If you're one of those people, like me, who are sucked into the magical adventure that film presents, Buffalo Kids offers a very similar experience in a different setting and, arguably, with even more emotion, though at the expense of some of that film's more bombastic set pieces. If you don't see the magic in The Polar Express, this film may not be for you. Unless, of course, the main turn-off for The Polar Express is its uncanny animation, because this film has nothing like that. While Buffalo Kids' animation isn't anything new, its ability to make its world and characters so charming and adorable is honestly such a feat that I don't think any major innovation was necessary here.
The heart of the film rests on the brilliant trio in the lead here. The relationship between the lead siblings is captured perfectly: he is a headstrong, protective older brother, and she is a younger sister who is so kind and loving, at times almost to a fault. But the star of the film is easily Nick, who, in one unassuming movie, stole my heart so much that he may just have stolen the spot of my favorite protagonist in an animated movie. He's a kid with cerebral palsy, and the film does an incredible job portraying him and making him the film's biggest hero. The film, through its script and animation, can convey so much emotion and character without him speaking a single word. It was so beautiful to see that, even just writing this review is making me teary-eyed, let alone how emotional I got actually watching the film! If you're somebody who likes a good cry while watching a movie, this is an absolute must-watch.
The last thing I'd like to cover is the film's box office numbers. I rarely discuss the financial side of film on my site because, frankly, that doesn't mean much to me, but I needed to say that this film's box office gross quite literally made me emotional. The low numbers this film achieved are in no way indicative of its quality, and it's overwhelmingly disheartening that such a heartwarming, adorable, genuinely great film was snubbed this hard. I've never seen another movie that has made me so sad to see it flop for no good reason... I believe this is an all-time great, emotional family film. So, I implore you to check out this film and spread the word however you can, because it deserves so much better.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 88%
Letter Score: A+
Star Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Buffalo Kids is one of those films that only comes by once in a blue moon—there's an undeniable special magic to this film that took me on a powerful yet adorable emotional journey, even if it wasn't a perfect film. Buffalo Kids is an unassuming masterwork that deserves so much more love and viewership, and I hope this film becomes a cult classic in the years to come. If I had to choose one movie to champion as the most undeserved box office flop ever, this may just be that movie.
Interested in checking out my reviews for some other recent animated projects? Check them out below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
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