Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
June 30th, 2023
MOVIE: RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN
STARRING: LANA CONDOR, TONI COLLETTE, JANE FONDA, COLMAN DOMINGO
DIRECTED BY: KIRK DEMICCO, FARYN PEARL
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
Over the past few years, the attention put on the genre of animated films has grown extensively. Guillermo del Toro expressed his passion for the genre with Pinocchio and a movie like Across the Spider-Verse has been injected into the Best Picture conversation, proving that animation is more competitive and more than just for kids. So where do the middle-of-the-pack animated films land or how do you make yourself stand out in a ruthless industry? Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is that middle-of-the-pack animated movie. It has a big heart and a creative story about a teenage girl who pretends to be human but is actually a Kraken. There are a few laughs and beautiful animation, making it a pleasant delight for the entire family. Just don’t expect to be blown out of the water.
The setting is a seaside town called Oceanside, where struggling teen Ruby (voiced by Lana Condor) wants to fit in with her human classmates. Her mother Agatha (voiced by Toni Collette) is the top real estate agent in town, her father Arthur (Colman Domingo) builds model ships, and her little brother Sam (Blue Chapman) annoys her all the time. The rules from Mom are that they must keep their Kraken identity a secret, fit in, and never go into the water. This makes life extra difficult for Ruby, with prom taking place on a cruise ship at sea, while desperately wanting to ask classmate crush Connor. Things get even more complicated when the new girl in school Chelsea (Annie Murphy) turns out to be a secret mermaid, getting all the attention, while Ruby can’t be herself. Being a teenager sure is tough.
It’s soon after that Ruby falls into the ocean, turning her into a big kaiju kraken and revealing her superpowers. It’s here where she meets her Grandmamah (voiced by Jane Fonda), the Warrior Queen of the Sea. This introduces us to a bright and colorful new world, where Ruby can thrive with her people, and even meets her Uncle Brill (Sam Richardson). The new challenge becomes a conflict of two worlds, where Ruby tries to keep her Kraken-self a secret from her mom, while attempting to bring mermaids and Krakens together, all through being friends with Chelsea.
Writing the plot and premise out is where Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken has its problems. The screenplay by Pam Brady, Elliott DiGuiseppi, co-director Kirk DeMicco, and Brian C. Brown wrote a plot that has too much going on. It’s a mixture of both Luca and Turning Red, where the sea monster is afraid to be herself, while her teenage experience is one of rapid change. Those two movies are great, so it’s not a terrible pair to be compared with, but there could be a tighter story. That’s not to say that Teenage Kraken is void of enjoyment. The visuals are often delightful, looking like the stop-motion animation of Wallace & Gromit was hand drawn instead. Most of the enjoyment I got was as the world expanded with every turn. On top of that, the Gillman family hiding their identity is a consistently funny bit.
The major problems are that Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is not incredibly memorable but also not bad. It is the quintessential 2 ½ star movie. There are a few laughs, there are chuckles, and the adventure for Ruby made me smile. Was I over the moon on this one like Across the Spider-Verse? No. It won’t be making any “Best of the Year” lists, but it will amuse you at the moment. It’s a movie about a teenager. Let’s just say it is in its awkward phase.
RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON JUNE 30TH, 2023.
2 ½ STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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