Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx is a 2025 animated adventure movie directed by Tobias Schwarz and Aizea Roca Berridi. Schwarz has extensive experience with animation, having served as an artist on multiple Disney Junior shows such as Vampirina and Doc McStuffins. This movie is based on an original novel called Heidi. created by Johanna Spyri. In these books, we meet Heidi, who is now an orphan living with her grandad in the Swiss Alps. From what I understand, the movie does not follow this plot exactly but instead uses the characters to craft a new story, featuring a lynx. The cast is quite standalone, with no major star power behind this animated film.
Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx begins with a young girl named Heidi, living with her grandad in the Swiss Alps. Their lives are simple, but they are happy with this. Heidi has a best friend named Peeta, who has a goat named Rolley. Rolley is one of the highlights of the movie, as he jumps about with his little bell. One day, while in town, Heidi receives a letter from her friend inviting her to stay at the beach. She is very excited about this, but at the same time, a businessman named Schnaittinger arrives in the village. He plans to build a new sawmill and industrialise the Alps. The village seems quite happy about this, except for Heidi’s grandad, who sees it as a negative impact on the environment.
The next day, Heidi and Peeta stumble upon a small lynx that is lost: trapped by Schnaittinger. Heidi hates to see the poor creature all alone in a cage. She chooses to rescue the lynx, calling him Pepper and giving him a home. Initially, she keeps this a secret from her grandpa, but he quickly figures it out. Schnaittinger then discovers that Heidi has kept the lynx, and she decides that Pepper must be returned to his family. Along the way, the group gets caught up in various adventures as they try to help Pepper! To make matters worse, a huge storm begins on the mountain, endangering Heidi, Peeta, Pepper, and Grandpa (who has followed them to help). Will they be able to rescue Pepper, or will they all get lost forever?!?
The animation is beautiful and stands out as quite unique compared to some of the larger studios. I think the character models are well developed and accurate to the Swiss Alps setting. One notable character design is Schnaittinger; he appears as a clean, well-dressed individual, but his slightly crooked teeth hint at his mean nature. Similarly, the music in the film is very nice, fitting the ambiance you’d expect from a story set in the Swiss Alps.
The themes of this movie are familiar, revolving around nature and the impact of industrialisation on the environment. The story is somewhat predictable, which could be seen as a negative; however, I believe the messaging is delivered effectively without feeling forced or overwhelming.There is also a very dark moment in the second half of the movie… it changes your feelings of Grandpa. If you’re looking for an alternative to some of the bigger animated studios, this film is worth checking out!
Heidi: Rescue of the Lynx is in UK cinemas from today (Friday 1st August).
Max
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