After several animated shorts made in the 1960s and ’70s, this was the first feature starring Rune Andreasson’s friendly but super-strong bear Bamse.

The story (which shares similarities with the 1950s children’s book ”When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town”) has all the local former bandits being talked into going back to a life of crime, kidnapping Bamse’s grandma in the process.

A likable message about how those choices risk making you lonely; well-paced adventure, with an enthusiastic performance by Magnus Härenstam in his last film role as a conniving fox.

2014-Sweden. Animated. 66 min. Color. Directed by Christian Ryltenius. Screenplay: Tomas Tivemark, Johan Kindblom. Voices of Peter Haber (Bamse), Morgan Alling (Little Hop), Steve Kratz (Shellman), Magnus Härenstam, Ia Langhammer, Shebly Niavarani, Leif Andrée, Kim Sulocki. Narrated by Tomas Bolme. 

Trivia: Alternative title: Bamse and the Thief City. Original title: Bamse och tjuvstaden. Followed by five sequels, starting with Bamse and the Witch’s Daughter (2016).