It seems that Dreamworks is the only company capable of standing up against the giants at Pixar when it comes to computer generated cartoons, but Boo, Zino And The Snurks does go some way towards implying that there is life outside the two major animation houses.

Much like the episode of The Simpsons when Itchy and Scratchy escape the TV, the story finds two cartoon characters set loose from the confines of their TV world and unleashed in reality.

Boo, an inventor of gadgets, and Zino, a not too bright hero, have been battling three 'snurks’ in the fantasy world of Gaya.

But the success of their show has upset the mad scientist Professor N Icely, whose own series was replaced by their show.

Using some form of magic, Prof. Icely manages to transport the would-be heroes and their enemies into the real world.

This leads to all sorts of shenanigans involving stolen crystals and the possible destruction of the heroes' home world.

The story is unashamedly silly, which would imply the target audience is very much a young audience.

But this is nowhere near as colourful and happy-go-lucky as the big Pixar hitters.

In fact, the dark world in which these characters find themselves is far too moody for kids of a young age to want to enter.

The animation itself is wonderfully rendered, and while the German producers have no doubt proven that they too can have a say in the future of CG-cartoons, they have yet to prove that they can find the relevant writing talent to go with the technology.

That may be even more difficult to come by, as Toy Story and The Incredibles will reference pop culture effortlessly, a European cartoon will struggle to make the most of similar jokes.

Boo, Zino And The Snurks looks the part and is mostly good fun, but inevitably, it falls short of the target the producers were aiming for.

Rich Phippen