Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    HITMAN World of Assassination - Signature Edition

    ‘HITMAN World Of Assassination’ Struggles On Switch 2

    06/16/2025
    One Piece But Why Tho 5

    Fathers of ‘One Piece’: Powerful Bonds, Legacy, and Found Family

    06/13/2025
    Elena Street Fighter 6 But Why Tho

    Elena Brings Style And Versatility To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    06/06/2025
    Lune and Sciel from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Lune, Sciel, And The Romance Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fails To Realize

    06/05/2025
    Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro

    Everything To Know About Eve Macarro In ‘Ballerina’

    06/05/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » SDCC 2023: ‘Mushka’ is A Moving Ode to 2-D Animation and Nature

SDCC 2023: ‘Mushka’ is A Moving Ode to 2-D Animation and Nature

Swara SalihBy Swara Salih07/28/20234 Mins ReadUpdated:08/02/2023
Mushka
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Mushka

Mushka is a short and straight-forward narrative. A young girl, Sarah (Helena Aviv Perez), comes across a baby tiger after his mother has been killed and successfully convinces her skeptical father (Tanner Beard) to let her raise him. With the help of her friend Alex (Josh Allen Goldman)  she raises the tiger, naming him “Mushka”, meaning “my darling” in Russian. But as Mushka gets older, will she be able to justify housing this wild animal? Mushka is directed by Andreas Deja, who is also the supervising animator, has a screenplay by Michael McKinney with the concept from Deja, and stars Helena Aviv Perez, Josh Allen Goldman, Tanner Beard, Ariel Goldberg, and Kelly Hoover. Post production sound services were provided by Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm Limited company.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Deja is an animator legend. From working on over 20 animated Disney productions, he is the talent behind fan-favorite animated characters such as Aladdin’s Jafar and The Lion King’s Scar. With his new independent short film and directorial debut, Mushka, he takes all the various lessons he’s learned as an animator to craft a moving and and beautiful tale set in rural Siberia. With his experience and his and his team’s marvelous work, Mushka is a crowing success that shows why 2D animation is still so important.

Today, the majority of theatrical animated films are 3D and CGI based. While the 3D and CGI mediums provide ample room for experimentation in animation, unfortunately their implementations suggests otherwise. So many 3D animated films look more or the same, particularly from Disney which has especially flattened the art-form for yet another conveyer-belt of content. Even when the story might be the saving grace, the animation doesn’t inspire like it used to. This conveyer belt has nearly flattened 2D animation out of the mass market, but Mushka shows where it still has tremendous value.

Deja and his fellow animators made Mushka’s canvass of animation somewhat impressionist and water-color based. But there remains much rich detail in the characters’ designs, expressions, and in the beauty of the Siberian tundra that is simultaneously detailed but impressionist at the same time. Every frame is a lovingly crafted drawing, as you can see every pencil stroke made. In its visual approach, the audience feels for young Sarah who grapples with trying to protect wildlife that she doesn’t fully understand. Unlike the over-exaggerated expressions of a Disney animal, Mushka’s facial expressions are nuanced with a healthy balance of realism that doesn’t detract from the pain, joy, and other emotions in the tiger’s face. But it’s really in his overall movements that directors Deja and his team have been able to express the entirety of what this tiger is feeling, and even thinking, to enrapture audiences into the magic of this story. It’s yet another way Mushka reminds us of the power that 2D animation has.

The themes of environmentalism and conservation are front and center in Mushka. Sarah doesn’t understand the full ramifications of taking in a wild animal, much less a tiger, in order to provide safety from poachers that killed his mother. Aviv Perez delivers a sweet and innocent performance as the young heroine, and never veers into being a caricature. Sarah has the purest intentions, but is she messing with nature in a way that will ultimately be detrimental to the baby cub? McKinney’s script doesn’t hit you over the head with these questions, but presents them through its narrative and its characters’ decisions. It shows and doesn’t tell as it ultimately leaves the answers to the audience, with its charming and moving story.

The orchestration by Marco Valerio Antonini and composition by Fabrizio Mancinelli, with the arrangement of “Mushka’s Theme” and vocals by Holly Sedillos, sets the mood for each scene. From the joy of Sarah and Mushka’s meeting, to the tragic beats set to the forces ripping them apart, to the melodic musings on the tundra, it’s captivating throughout. Mushka is a delight not only for the eyes but also for the ears.

Mushka is a triumph of animation. It’s a display of an animation master as Deja and his fellow artists craft a moving visual tale of this young girl and her tiger, diving into themes of environmentalism and the importance of respecting the natural world. With lovely visuals, a solid voice cast, beautiful music, and a balanced exploration of the themes of its subject matter, Mushka requires viewing wherever and whenever its available for wide release. You won’t regret it.

Mushka
  • 9.5/10
    Rating - 9.5/10
9.5/10

TL;DR

Mushka is a triumph of animation. It’s a display of an animation master as Deja and his fellow artists crafted a moving visual tale of this young girl and her tiger, diving into themes of environmentalism and the importance of respecting the natural world.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleEverything to Know About Ryota Miyagi
Next Article FANTASIA 2023: ‘Aporia’ Channels Grief Through Sci-Fi
Swara Salih

Swara is a data scientist and a co-host of The Middle Geeks. He loves talking about politics, animals, nature, and all things Star Trek, DC, Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra, and Steven Universe.

Related Posts

Elio in Pixar's Elio
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Elio’ Gets Lost In The Stars But Mostly Finds Its Way Home

06/17/2025
Diablo (2025) promotional key art
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Diablo’ Keeps The Mid-Budget Action Goodness Going

06/16/2025
Deep Cover (2025) key art with Nick Mohammed, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Orlando Bloom
6.0

REVIEW: Orlando Bloom Gives His All In ‘Deep Cover’

06/15/2025
Our Times But Why Tho
3.5

REVIEW: ‘Our Times’ Wastes A Good Premise On A Bad Plot

06/14/2025
Red Blood Cell and White Cell in Cells at Work
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Cells at Work’ Does A Beloved Anime Justice

06/13/2025
Camila Morrone and Willem Dafoe in Gonzo Girl
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Gonzo Girl’ Is A Careful Character Study About Main Characters

06/12/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night with the Duke Episodes 1-2
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 1-2

By Sarah Musnicky06/12/2025

The bar is set pretty high with The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2. While exposition-heavy, it is a delightfully silly watch.

Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered promotional art from Bandai Namco
6.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered’

By Matthew Glenn06/14/2025

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered is runs on nostalgia and great Gundam piloting, but there is more left to be desired.

Y'shtola in the FFXIV Commander Deck - Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Interviews

Magic Designer Explains The Challenge Of Picking A Face For The FFXIV Commander Deck

By Kate Sánchez06/11/2025Updated:06/11/2025

FFXIV Commander Deck pulls highlights core characters and mechanics, with Y’shtola as its Commander. But building the deck, wasn’t easy.

Eric McCormack in Hell Motel
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Hell Motel’ Takes A Stab At True Crime

By Sarah Musnicky06/17/2025Updated:06/17/2025

Hell Motel blurs genres with this murder mystery, true crime slasherfest. While it’s not the team’s best work, it’s still fun.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here