Sir Billi, also known as Guardian of the Highlands in the United States, is a 2012 Scottish computer-animatedadventure comedy film. It was made by husband and wife Sascha Hartmann and Tessa Hartmann. Directed by Sascha Hartmann, the film stars the voices of Sean Connery, Alan Cumming, Patrick Doyle and Kieron Elliott. The film is Scotland's first CGI animated feature film. Sascha directed the film from a screenplay written by his wife Tessa, based on an original story they developed together. It is also the final acting role for Sean Connery, who briefly came out of retirement to work on the film.
Premise
The titular Sir Billi, an old, skateboarding veterinarian, goes above and beyond the call of responsibility fighting villainous policemen and strong lairds in a war to save an illegal fugitive—Bessie Boo the beaver.
Sir Billi was produced by Glasgow-based Billi Productions, founded by the Hartmanns. The film was in production for several years, with a 30-minute short film version completed in 2006, but it was expanded to 80 minutes. The total budget was £15 million. The film premiered on 13 April 2012 at the Sonoma International Film Festival. which is better known as a wine festival. Worldwide distribution rights were acquired by Shoreline Entertainment in October 2012. It was scheduled for a limited British release on September 13, 2013 at three cinemas, to be followed by a DVD release. The film was released in the United States under the alternative title Guardian of the Highlands, which is also the name of the film's title song, sung by Dame Shirley Bassey.
Critical response
The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 0% approval rating with an average rating of 2.33/10 based on 6 reviews. The negative reaction to the film was widely reported in the British press. Peter Debruge of Variety called it "woefully anaemic", criticising its "simplistic story and non-sequitur style". They also pointed out a few in-jokes referencing Connery's past role as James Bond, such as title sequence featuring a Shirley Bassey song that pastiches Bond themes. Siobhan Synnot of The Scotsman called it "mirthless" and "rudimentary". Russ Fischer of SlashFilm criticized it as an "ignominious" end to Connery's career, even compared to his previous film, the critically reviled The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Fred Patten of Flayrah called the CG "the ugliest that I have ever seen". Journalist Lisa Summers was also harshly critical of both the CGI and the story. F Bomb Movie Review felt it badly failed to connect with today's children. Despite the film's universally negative reception, AM FM Magazine claimed it was well received on its premiere in Sonoma.
