If you walk on thin ice, this could be you.
Varokaa heikkoa jäätä ("Beware of weak ice") is a Finnish cutout animated short film created by Camilla Mickwitz, featuring characters from the logo of the children's television show Pikku Kakkonen. Since 1986, the film has been shown on the show in autumn and spring to educate children about the dangers of walking on ice.
The original version can be viewed here
and the 1996 remastered version can be viewed here.
Provides examples of:
- And Knowing Is Half the Battle: The film ends with the bear saying "Beware of weak ice!".
- Beary Friendly: The bear who falls through the ice is a nice bear, though rather foolish.
- Danger — Thin Ice: The bear takes a shortcut across a frozen lake, and falls through the ice.
- Foot Bath Treatment: The bear is shown in the end with his feet in a bath.
- Illness Blanket: The bear is wrapped up in a blanket in the end after being rescued from the lake.
- The Man in the Moon: The opening shot shows a full moon with a face, which turns into the yellow crescent from the Pikku Kakkonen logo.
- Mime and Music-Only Cartoon: Aside from the very end, the short has no dialogue whatsoever.
- Scare 'Em Straight: The film shows how scary falling through ice is, with the bear sinking and failing to get out.
- Suddenly Voiced: Most of the film has no dialogue, but in the end, the bear says the name of the short: Beware of weak ice.
- Title Drop: The only spoken line is the bear saying the name of the short in the end.
Varokaa heikkoa jäätä. Mmm.
