Sir Billi (2012)

Directed by

Sascha Hartmann

Genre

adventure film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

1h 19m

Rated

PG

Rating

3.2 of 10 from 20 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An elderly veterinarian in the Scottish Highlands teams up with his goat friend to rescue a beaver from a corrupt police officer. The film is an animated adventure with references to James Bond.

lightheartedwhimsicalgentlequirkyplayfulnostalgicslow-paced

What happens

Sir Billi (also known as Guardian of the Highlands in the US release) is a 2012 British animated comedy adventure film directed by Sascha Hartmann and written by his wife Tessa Hartmann, based on an original story they developed together. Produced by Billi Productions, the film stars the voices of Sean Connery, Alan Cumming, Patrick Doyle, and Kieron Elliott. Set in the Scottish Highlands, the film follows Sir Billi, an elderly veterinarian who, with the help from his friend Gordon the Goat and the townspeople of Catterness, embarks on an adventure to rescue a beaver named Bessie Boo, while also helping her escape from a corrupt police officer. The film is Scotland's first computer-animated feature film. Connery had actually retired in 2006, but eventually joined the film's cast as a favour to the Hartmanns. Since Connery served the role of the title character, the film makes numerous references to the James Bond films, even down to parodying the opening sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). It was Connery's first film role since The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), and his final role before his death in 2020. The film was originally released on 13 April 2012 by Shoreline Entertainment, premiering at the Sonoma International Film Festival, and was re-released theatrically on 13 September 2013. The film was critically panned for its plot, character designs, perceived sexist content, animation, and crude humour, with many considering the film to be a sour note on which Sean Connery ended his career. The film was also a box office disappointment as it only earned $15,838. Not only was it considered to be one of the worst animated films of all time, but there were some critics who went as far to compare it to Foodfight! in terms of quality, claiming it to be one of the most-hated animated films in cinema history. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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