Out of all the genres that can take time to produce, animated films can take the longest; even with the move from hand-drawn to computer generated images, the process can still take a number of years.

It took considerably longer for French director Paul Grimault to get his vision up on the big screen. He started working on it in 1947, along with his fellow writer Jacques Prévert on what was planned to be the first full-length French animated feature.

However, due to one dispute on top of another, it took thirty years to get the feature produced, and it was finally released as the pair intended it to be in 1979. The UK had to wait a few years more, as it arrived on these shores in 1984. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in the UK, it's getting a theatrical release as well as being released on Blu-ray (28th April) for the first time. But how does it compare with the faster and flashier pace of more modern animated features?

You have to feel sorry for the people of the kingdom of Takicardia, for they are ruled by a king who only has his best interests at heart. You also have to feel sorry for the birds of the kingdom too, as the king is a big fan of shooting them; luckily for them however, he's no Oscar Pistorious when it comes to aiming, so they have a better chance of survival.

At night, as he sleeps in his very, very private quarters, the paintings in his chamber come to life. It's at this time of night that a shepherdess in one painting, and a chimney sweep in another, can enjoy each other's company. One night however, a portrait of the king of himself comes to life, and soon swoons upon the image of the shepherdess and quickly declares his love for her. When he sees how close she is with the chimney sweep however, he becomes angry. When he calls the palace police to come and take him away, the pair decide to make a break for it and escape.

Their time together would be very short-lived if it wasn't for a wise Mockingbird, who decides to help the lovers whenever he can against the bird-hating king. But in a palace full of traps, and a tyrant of a king to deal with, the course of true love really doesn't run smooth at all.

Ze next person who sayz I look like Eric Cantana, shoot zem on sight!

Although France has never been a nation to produce a lot of animated features, this one is often cited as a huge influence on the directors within Studio Ghibli, and it's easy to see why. The film has a strong fairytale quality to it (no surprise really, as it's based on a Hans Christian Anderson tale), as well as a wash of surrealism that wouldn't look out of place as a Python animation by Terry Gilliam.

One of the most noticeable traits about the film is how much more detailed the background areas are compared to the main characters. Much of the time, flat two dimensional characters get to live in a vibrant and sophisticated setting. These characters often let the side down, particularly those animators who drew the wild animals, as they had clearly never set foot in a zoo before; many of whom look like they were scribbled in the dark on the back of a wine-soaked beer mat.

Overall, it hasn't stood the test of time particularly well. Although presented as a newly restored version, the print is still pretty faded and worn, with much of its colour seemingly washed out. It also feels really dated overall; the story, although whimsical, takes place with the kind of slow pace that may put a lot of today's younger members of the audience off.

It's quirky and inventive, and yet doesn't quite hold up against the high standards achieved today in the shiny world of animation.

If you're a lover of traditional animation however, The King and the Mockingbird has oodles of charm that's bound to win you over.