jacques mandelbaum wrote a negative review in "le monde", where he, among other things, criticised the film for having dull gags, lifeless voice acting and a dragging pace: "this general disconcertment is due to the lack of determination in the point of view, which evidently wants to take in everything and fails to grasp the bad. between chagall and "the adventures of tintin", family chronicle and adventure film, biblical legend and colonial chronicle, historical reconstruction and winks to the contemporary world, the references are superimposed without achieving harmony. in the end, this plea for tolerance is a moral preaching so annoyingly gentle that it struggles to convince us of its legitimacy." jordan mintzer wrote in "the hollywood reporter": "though this gorgeously animated affair showcases the artist's freewheeling style and colorful arabesque imagery, its rambling episodic structure is not quite the cat's meow, even if it remains a thoroughly enjoyable take on judaism in early 20th century north africa. ... while the end result is somewhat chaotic, it proves that sfar can make the jump from page to screen in ways that are both compelling and personal."