cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1109255

One of the wittiest movies I’ve ever watched! It’s hilarious!!

The animation is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is also incredible. The voice acting by Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed is also spectacular, and even Eugene Lee Yang (of The Try Guys fame) does a very decent job.

The story doesn’t leave much to be desired either. It tackles themes of isolation, not finding your place in the world, and discrimination, both on an individual and systemic level.

Though it doesn’t actually address the problem of systemic oppression, preferring instead to scapegoat a single character.

Actually, that single element of the story really stung. It’s clear that they went to great lengths to have a very diverse cast of characters, and it’s obvious they’re trying to be progressive, and this is meant to be a progressive story. However, I can’t help but think that it’s all posturing, if in the end all the systems that allowed such horrible mentalities to fester still remain intact, with only the “top dog” being taken down. You can’t fix a system by removing an individual.

There’s so much more I’d like to say about this, but I feel this isn’t the place. Plus, this is clearly a kid’s movie, a very good one with a deep message and complex characters, but still. I suppose the message is still a net positive despite such a massive blunder.

Additionally, there’s a dance sequence in the middle that feels so painfully out of place I almost cringed myself to death. Thankfully it was very short.

Overall, I think this movie was good. It’s not really gonna blow anyone’s socks off, but it might make some people think, and it’s very easy on the eyes and ears.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Watch on Netflix!
Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

  • Jentu@lemmy.filmEnglish
    8·
    1 year ago

    I desperately wanted this movie to be Arcane or Mitchell’s vs The Machines or Infinity Train levels of emotional jabs, but being a kids movie, I think it does a good job.

    [ obvious spoiler alert] I do wish it resolved a bit differently. It being a trans allegory, it was kind of tiring seeing nimona be sacrificed in the story to make things better, though I’ll agree the changes don’t seem to go nearly far enough. (people felt bad nimona is dead because they saved the city, but I doubt the citizens changed their minds on what it means to demonize someone different to themselves in general) There’s a shot where people are traveling outside of the wall, but there’s still a wall. The citizens should feel shame over the wall. They should feel shame over the institution that uses violence to harm those who are different. And yet at the end, they’re happy in their little perfect utopian society with a little memorial wall to make themselves feel better with no more diversity inside their city walls.

    I’m torn. I don’t want to think this is a bad movie just because of an ending that fell flat for me. I think it is just a bit “safe” for me. Other than the ending, the messaging was great and I loved the comedic timing.

    • gon@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      YUP!!!

      That reminds me actually, I should watch Infinity Train…

      • Jentu@lemmy.filmEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        It’s such a great show! I wish it wasn’t killed by the HBO/Discovery merge, but each season is kind of self contained, so while the major secrets of the story are still pretty hidden due to it being cancelled, every season stands on its own really well and wraps up main character arcs.

        I don’t think you can find it on HBO anymore, but you can certainly find it other places online.

  • Jordan Lund@lemmy.oneEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    I enjoyed it specifically because it let me show my wife what a decent Chaotic Neutral character acts like as opposed to Chaotic Good or Chaotic Evil. ;)