Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest review

French animator Michel Ocelot won critical plaudits but few bums on seats for his enchanting Kirikou And The Sorceress. His latest outing, Azur & Asmar: The Princes Quest, deserves better. It’s a beautiful tale of two princes – one European, the other Arabian – competing for the hand of the legendary Djinn-fairy, set in a fantastical Morocco that teems with multi-coloured mosques and intricate palm trees. Azur weaves its message of racial tolerance into an Arabian Nights-style adventure with ease. It also throws in a supporting cast of memorable characters such as Crapoux, a phlegmy-voiced Monty Python escapee, and naughty, knee-high Princess Chamsous. Shrek will be green with envy; everyone else will be utterly beguiled.