Director: Xavier Picard (2015)

Enjoy a well-earned staycation and avoid this slow sojourn to the sunshine of southern France.

This is the first full-length feature based on the Moomin comic strips by Tove Jansson and Lars Jansson.

The Moomins are strange, cow shaped-creatures – possibly trolls – from Finland. Moominpappa (Nathaniel Parker) wears a top-hat, Moominmamma (Tracy Ann Oberman) an apron and their son Moomin (Russell Tovey) goes without.

His sort of girlfriend Snorkmaiden (Stephanie Winiecki) wears nothing but an ankle bracelet but frets about showing off too much flesh when wearing a tiny bikini.

It’s a strange message to send – especially to kids as young as the presumed target audience. I doubt they’ll understand the mild social satire either. I’m not sure I did.

Living in the peaceful Moomin Valley they keep pets and plant potatoes. Moominpappa has worrying pyrotechnic tendencies which attracts the attentions of pirates.

After reading about the glamorous lives of celebrities, they sail to the French Riviera braving storms, sharks, sea urchins and an irritating stowaway en route.

Once there Moomin (Russell Tovey) is jealous when his girlfriend Snorkmaiden (Stephanie Winiecki) is romanced by the raffish Clark Tresco (Dave Browne).

Among the gossipy jet-set are stampeding gendarmes and starving artists. The Moomins suffer snobbery, fine art, cocktail parties, roulette and a duel.

The traditional hand-drawn animation has  a lovely innocent hand-drawn style and the music is jolly and vaguely familiar. But the weak jokes and gentle tone won’t prevent you from enjoying a decent snooze.

★☆☆☆☆