Mia and the Migoo (original title Mia et le Migou) is a 2008 France/Italy animated movie.
It's about a tan-skinned, long-haired (but not for long) girl named Mia and her quest to find her father Pedro, a laborer who has been trapped in a landslide at a disaster-plagued construction site on a remote tropical lake. Mia seems to feel his plight and embarks on an adventure to save him. Meanwhile, the brash hotel promoter is alarmed by the discovery of a huge footprint and other incidents on the site. At the same time, the man behind the construction, Jekhide (slicked-back black hair, fancy white suit and a devil’s grin) journeys with his financial backers to sell the project. And he was forced to take his son Aldrin with him. The story is not complicated and revolves around a very classical theme of man vs nature, and is considered quite Anvilicious by many a reviewer.
What many agree on, however, is that the visuals are phenomenal. Where the movie stands out is its animation style. It uses bright strong watercolors and pastels, and has been compared positively to the works of Studio Ghibli. On top of the pastel/watercolor work, all vehicles and technology appear to have been animated with CG, making them look sharper and slightly out of place in nature (which they are).
Tropes:
- Abusive Dad: Jekhide to Adrian, emotionally.
- Big Beautiful Woman: The fat lady who helped Mia sneak onto the bus without a ticket.
- The End of the World as We Know It: What would happen if the tree is destroyed and a new seed doesn't get planted.
- Happy Rain: Happens at the ending, as the construction workers and Mia and Aldrin's respective fathers celebrate, and Mia and Aldrin nuzzle each other happily.
- Happy Ending: The Tree of Life's roots allow a new tree to grow, and thanks to it's magic, the storm dissipates, the fire is extinguished, the rainforest and Migoo are restored, Mia and Aldrin reunite and reconcile respectively with their respective fathers, and seemingly begin a Puppy Love romance.
- Heel–Face Turn: Jekhide, after regretting everything that he's done, meeting Mia's father and being helped by him, and helping him in return.
- Heel Realization: Jekhide, after being stranded in a hole underground, as he realizes and laments that his ruthless and selfish actions throughout the film have now cost him everything, including apparently Aldrin.
- Important Haircut: For the first half of the film, Mia sports waist-length hair. During her encounter with the Sorceress, the latter cuts Mia's hair down to a pixie cut in order to use it for her magic fire to help find Mia's father. It also signifies how much Mia has grown throughout her journey.
- It's All About Me: Jekhide.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Jekhide's ruthlessness, lack of business ethics, and neglect of his son eventually catch up with him: the investors he was working with on his land development deal learn about the accidents on the work site despite his attempts to cover them up, and back out of the deal. This causes his company's stock to plummet, which causes his bank to cancel his line of credit, thus costing him everything he has. Later, after having a Villainous Breakdown and going on a rampage against the Migoo for ruining him, which result in the Tree of Life being destroyed, a thunderstorm to take form, and a huge brush fire to erupt in the rainforest, he crashes his helicopter and is chased by the rainforest's angry wildlife and even its plant life, until he falls down a hole and dislocates his leg.
- Missing Mom: Mia's mom passed away sometime before the movie. Aldrin's mom is away in research in Antarctica.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Jekhide, after attacking the Tree of Life in revenge against the Migoo for costing him his real-estate deal and everything else he has, starting a huge thunderstorm and brushfire as a result, believing his son to be dead after seeing him jump out of his helicopter after Mia, and being chased into a hole and dislocating his leg.
- Relationship Revolving Door: It appears that Jekhide and his wife are back together again.
