My Favorite Animated Films of 2023
So, I’ve been looking for a way to talk more about animation on this blog for a while now, and I think I’ve finally found a way to do it: discuss my favorite animated films from each year, starting backward from 2023.
I went back and forth on how to structure this list. I was initially going to list my favorite animated films from each month of 2023, but that plan quickly fell through for two reasons. The first was that several films, especially in the early months of 2023, definitely were not best-of-the-year material. I wouldn’t exactly call films like Mummies, Katak, Mavka, The Magician’s Elephant, or the Miraculous Ladybug movie bad per se. They’re just not anything special.
The second, more frustrating reason is the many foreign or independent films that simply weren’t available for me to stream legally or films that are still in theaters that I can’t access because I live in a rural area and don’t have a driver’s license. These included Deep Sea, A Greyhound of a Girl, Four Souls of Coyote, Robot Dreams, They Shot the Piano Player, The Peasants, Migration, The Imaginary, Disney’s Wish, and what is undoubtedly the most glaring omission on this list, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. I’ll likely make a revised version of this list sometime in the future when I finally do manage to see these films, but until then, this is the best I’ve got. For now, though, let’s start the list with some…
Honorable Mentions
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production company: Dreamworks
Directed by: Walt Dohrn
Produced by: Gina Shay
Written by: Elizabeth Tippet
Music: Theodore Shapiro
The third film in Dreamworks’ candy-coated jukebox musical franchise features Branch and Poppy (voiced respectively by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick) going on another adventure that delves into the former’s past as the literal baby of a boy band named BroZone. The oldest member, John Dory (Eric Andre), arrives in Bergen Town to inform Branch that fellow BroZone member Floyd (Troye Sivan) has been kidnapped by Velvet and Veneer (Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells), who are stealing his talent to become pop stars. On their way to recruit the two other members of BroZone, Spruce and Clay (Daveed Diggs and Kid Cudi), into the rescue mission, Poppy stumbles across the Putt-Putt Trolls and their leader, Viva (Camilla Cabello), who turns out to be Poppy’s long-lost sister.
I’ll admit that while I haven’t seen the first Trolls film, I did see World Tour and found it surprisingly enjoyable. Band Together definitely felt like a step-down, though. The animation is the best part, with its kindergarten craft-fair aesthetic lending itself to some creative environmental design (jungles made of pool noodles, oceans made of blue beads, etc.). The soundtrack has its highlights as well, including a cover of “9 to 5” sung by Velvet and Veneer’s beleaguered assistant Crimp (Zosie Mamet), the cover of “The Hustle” that plays over a psychedelic hand-drawn sequence, and Velvet and Veneer’s villain song “Watch Me Work.” “Better Place” also deserves mention, as it was the first song by Timberlake’s former band NSYNC in over two decades. The many jokes at the expense of the music industry are amusing, and Kenan Thompson absolutely steals the show as Tiny Diamond, a young glittery Hip Hop Troll who acts much older than his age.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that as much effort went into the script, as the film’s plot was much less engaging than World Tour’s. In that way, it definitely feels more like a kid’s movie than a family film. Still, if you need an hour and a half to distract your kids, there are far worse choices.
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production company: Dreamworks
Director: Kirk DeMicco
Producer: Kelly Cooney Cilella
Writers: Pam Brady, Brian C. Brown, Elliot DiGiuseppi
Music: Stephanie Economou
Dreamworks’ other major animated release of 2023 follows the eponymous 16-year-old kraken (voiced by Lana Condor) as she struggles to fit in at the local high school. When she accidentally knocks her crush, Connor (Jaboukie Young-White), into the ocean, she jumps in to rescue him despite her parents’ (Toni Collette and Colman Domingo) warnings and discovers that she is the descendent of a line of kraken warriors who protect the ocean from evil mermaids and that her parents took Ruby out of the sea because she was next in line to the throne after her Grandmamah (Jane Fonda). Meanwhile, the snobbish new girl at the school, Chelsea Van Der Zee (Annie Murphy), reveals that she’s a mermaid and convinces Ruby to help her retrieve the Trident of Oceanus so they can unite the krakens and mermaids…or does she have something else in mind?
This film clearly follows in the footsteps of Pixar’s Turning Red and Luca, as it is another animated film using legendary beasts as a metaphor for puberty and coming of age. Ruby Gillman is aiming for a younger audience, however, so the heavier thematic elements of those films are dispensed with in favor of telling a much more generic and by-the-numbers story.
While it’s definitely inferior to its cousins in that regard, the film does somewhat make up for it with the vibrant underwater set pieces, likable characters, and excellent voice-acting. Highlights include Condor as Ruby herself, Collete (who gives a suitably neurotic performance as Ruby’s overprotective mother Agatha), Sam Richardson (playing Ruby’s goofy uncle Brill), and Will Forte as Captain Gordon Lighthouse, an eccentric tour guide who moonlights as a (hilariously inept) kraken hunter. The idea of kraken being protectors of the ocean and mermaids being villains is an interesting inversion, and the kaiju battle at the end is thrilling, even if it distracts from Ruby’s character arc.
While I would recommend Turning Red and Luca over this any day of the week, I would still say there’s plenty of fun to be had with Ruby Gillman.
And now that the honorable mentions are out of the way, let’s get into the top 10, starting with:
Number Ten
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production company: Illumination, Nintendo
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Shigeru Miyamoto
Writer: Matthew Fogel
Music: Brian Tyler (themes by Koji Kondo)
This iteration of the classic video game franchise sees Mario and Luigi (voiced by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, respectively) getting a chance to get their struggling plumbing business off the ground and prove themselves to their doubting Mom and Dad (Jessica DiCicco and Charles Martinet) when they learn of a busted water main under Brooklyn. Instead, they encounter a magic pipe that transports them to the fantastical Mushroom Kingdom. Mario is separated from Luigi and ends up in the court of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), who decides to train Mario to help the kingdom in the coming war against King Bowser (Jack Black), who is threatening to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom with a Super Star unless Peach agrees to marry him. He must also rescue Luigi, who has become Bowser’s prisoner in the Dark Lands, and so embarks on a journey with Peach and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to recruit Jungle Kingdom prince Donkey Kong (Seth Rogan) to their cause.
I’m probably not the best person to judge this film since I’m not much of a video game enthusiast. I certainly can’t comment on the wide variety of references to previous games that abound in the film. But I can comment on other things, like the music (which sees Brian Tyler effortlessly including Koji Kondo’s original themes from the games into his own bombastic score), the colorful animation which lends itself to beautiful vistas of the various kingdoms, and several of the voice actors shine in their respective roles. Jack Black is obviously having a blast voicing the Koopa King in his usual larger-than-life way, and Key, Fred Armisen, and Kevin Michael Richardson give suitably cartoonish performances as Toad, Cranky Kong, and the Koopa sorcerer Kamek, respectively. My personal favorite was probably Juliet Jelenic (co-director Michael’s daughter) as Lumalee, whom Luigi encounters in Bowser’s dungeon and is positively hilarious as she spouts off ridiculously nihilistic predictions about the fates awaiting Bowser’s prisoners, much to their annoyance.
If there is anything bad about the film, it’s that, for all its strengths, it doesn’t stray that far away from Illumination’s modus operandi of making low-budget animated films that never try to push the creative envelope. Indeed, while far from bad, Pratt and Taylor-Joy’s performances as Mario and Peach are not anything special either, and the film’s paper-thin plot seems to exist more to make references than to tell a compelling story. Then again, it’s Super Mario Bros. Does it need to be a profound philosophical statement on the human condition or the futility of war?
In the end, I suspect fans of the video games might get more out of this. Still, it’s definitely one of Illumination’s better efforts.
Number Nine
Distributor: Netflix
Production company: Aardman Animations, Netflix Animation
Director: Sam Fell
Producers: Steve Pegram, Leyla Hobart
Writers: Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farell (story), Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farell and Rachel Tunnard (screenplay)
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
This long-awaited sequel to the 2000 classic features the fugitives from Mrs. Tweedy’s farm setting up a solarpunk sanctuary on an island in the middle of a lake. But all is not well in paradise, as Molly (voiced by Bella Ramsey), the daughter of original protagonists Ginger (Thandwie Newton, replacing Julia Swahala) and Rocky (Zachary Levi, replacing Mel Gibson), has an adventurous spirit that lands her in trouble when she’s captured by an advanced poultry processing plant that is using chickens rendered fearless idiots by mind control collars to make more delicious chicken nuggets. Oh, and the plant is run by none other than Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), which doesn’t help matters. So it’s up to Ginger, Rocky, Bunty (Imelda Staunton), Mac (Lynn Ferguson), Babs (Jane Horrocks), and Fowler (David Bradley, replacing the late Benjamin Whitrow) to break her out.
Dawn of the Nugget has many of the same strengths as the original film. Aardman’s stop-motion animation is as lively as ever, and their penchant for parody is as strong as ever, this time spoofing spy thrillers as opposed to the original film being a loose parody of The Great Escape. The action set pieces are as thrilling as ever, and much of the voice cast is fun in their respective roles. This includes returning actors Staunton, Ferguson, Horrocks, and Richardson, the latter of whom remains as delightfully devilish as ever as the sadistic Mrs. Tweedy. Bradley is excellent as the old RAF veteran Fowler, and Bella Ramsey, for me at least, is one of those actors that makes anything better just by their mere presence.
At the same time, though, the film lacks the original’s unique charm, especially considering that it sometimes reuses jokes and plot beats from the first film, which makes it feel like the film is relying on its predecessor a bit too much (although I’ll be damned if this film’s answer to Edwina’s death isn’t Grade-A nightmare fuel).
I also feel I should dock points for the controversy around the voice casting. While some recasts were inevitable (with Benjamin Whitrow being deceased and Mel Gibson being…well… Mel Gibson), Julie Swahala’s recasting was totally uncalled for. The filmmakers’ explanation of Swahala being too old for the role is especially head-scratching, given that Thandwie Newton is only four years younger than her at 51, almost twenty years older than Swahala when the first film was released. Whoever was responsible for this decision sucks and should feel bad. Also, I have to admit that I didn’t care for Zach Levi’s interpretation of Rocky, as I thought this version of the character felt dumber than the original. Maybe it’s just resentment toward Levi for his own problematic viewpoints, but it’s another way this film feels like a step down from the original.
Even with all of these problems, mediocre Aardman is still much more fun than many studios at their worst. Maybe the way the studio treated Swahala will turn you off, which is fair. But for anyone willing to give it a chance, there’s still plenty of goofy British charm still left in this sequel.
Number Eight
Distributor: KMBO and Blue Fox Entertainment
Production companies: Curiosity Studio, Foliascope, Leo & King
Writer/director/producer: Jim Capobianco
Co-producers: Ellen Byrne, Robert Rippberger, Vincent McCarthy, Ilan Urroz
Music: Alex Mandel
This charming musical stop-motion feature takes the life of Leonardo da Vinci (voiced by Stephen Fry) and filters it through a Rankin-Bass-style lens. It follows da Vinci in the final three years of his life, starting in 1516 when he gets in trouble with Pope Leo X (Matt Berry) over his dissections of human corpses, which da Vinci views as necessary to find the answer to life itself. He is invited to the court of Francis I of France (Gauthier Battoue) after he helps make peace after the Battle of Marignano. There, da Vinci befriends Princess Marguerite de Navarre (Daisy Ridley), who resolves to help the great inventor in his intellectual pursuits. But da Vinci starts butting heads with Francis and his mother Louise of Savoy (Marion Cotillard), who want him to stop focusing on inventions like the “ideal city” and more on creations that speak to his kingly glory. Can da Vinci win them over and discover the secret of life before it’s too late?
The animation is probably the most memorable thing about this film. While mainly told in stop-motion, clearly inspired by Rankin-Bass productions, the film also includes hand-drawn sections depicting da Vinci searching for the meaning of life in his mindscape while the black shadow of death looms over him. Both styles are expertly crafted, and the stop-motion lends the film a nostalgic tone. Given the presence of Fry, Ridley, Cotillard, and Berry, it’s probably no surprise that the voice acting is top-notch.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about the story. For all of the themes about science and religion butting heads, da Vinci never seems like he’s in any real danger. For example, the conflict between Francis and da Vinci is resolved rather unceremoniously after the former learns about da Vinci’s investigations with human corpses and is completely fine with it.
Speaking of corpses, though, that speaks to another problem with the film: it doesn’t seem to know who its audience is. The subject of corpse dissections and existential dread would go right over most children’s heads while the story is too underdeveloped and the conflict too low-stakes for adults to latch onto.
Finally, there are the songs, which, despite beautiful performances from Ridley and Cotillard, are not all that memorable. This isn’t helped by the way Stephen Fry approaches his numbers, as he is clearly uncomfortable singing and instead performs his songs by simply talking in rhythm.
Despite all this, I can’t help but commend a film that is so dedicated to commending the creative and innovative spirit that rests not just in Leonardo da Vinci but in all of us. I recommend you watch it at least once and see what you think.
Number Seven
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production companies: Paramount Animation, New Republic Pictures, Big Kid Pictures
Director: David Soren
Producers: David Dobkin, Dagan Potter, Allison Gardner
Writers: Lorene Scafaria and David Dobkin (story), Lorene Scafaria and David Soren (screenplay)
Music: John Debney and Jonathan Sadoff
One probably wouldn’t expect a story that feels like Romeo and Juliet crossed with Jersey Shore would be as enjoyable as it is, but somehow, these filmmakers pulled it off. It’s a shame that Paramount seems intent on burying it, though.
The story centers on two groups of hermit crabs living and working under a New Jersey beach boardwalk. One is an orange-colored group living on land, while the other are sea-dwelling crabs colored blue, visiting the land crabs’ beach as a tourist destination every summer. The land crabs are often treated as merely being there to serve the sea crabs, leading to no small amount of resentment between the two groups. This status quo gets shaken when a timid land crab named Armen (voiced by Michael Cera) and a sea crab named Ramona (Keke Palmer) get separated from their groups by a tidal wave and are captured by a human collector to be sold as pets. As the two make their way back to their civilization and start developing feelings for one another, trouble starts brewing on the beach as the land and sea crabs, led by Armen’s muscular friend Bobby (Bobby Cannavale) and Ramona’s arrogant ex Mako (Russell Brand), blame one another for their friends’ disappearance and all-out war starts to brew. Can Armen get Ranoma back to the sea before she dehydrates and dies and help stop the two camps from tearing each other apart?
Much like The Inventor, this is a musical. While not as earwormingly catchy as anything from the Disney Renaissance, they’re still very enjoyable, even if they are sometimes upstaged by licensed tracks like the Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” Highlights include the opening ensemble number “Welcome to New Jersey,” the Armen and Ramona love duet “Look Around,” and Bobby’s solo number “More Than a Meathead,” where the muscular crustacean laments how others judge him solely based on how much of a jock he appears to be.
The character designs and the environment around them are beautifully brought to life, and the voice cast accompanying them is excellent. Cera, Palmer, and Cannavale are all perfectly cast, and the actors surrounding them are equally enjoyable. Standouts include Ron Funches as Armen’s excitable shell roommate, Anemone, and Shoshannah Stern as Ramona’s adorable deaf younger sister, Shelly.
Unfortunately, Russell Brand’s presence does spoil the fun a little bit. His acting as the brash and pompous Mako is fine in a vacuum, but his controversies really do cast a shadow over the whole affair. Brand had already gotten in trouble for speaking out against the COVID-19 vaccine and promoting pro-Russian conspiracy theories during the invasion of Ukraine. However, just a month before Under the Boardwalk was released, Brand found himself in a whole new world of trouble when half a dozen women came forward accusing him of sexual assault and emotional abuse. One wonders if this is why Paramount seems so hesitant to promote the film. Indeed, it lends Mako’s line about wanting to live free of consequences an extra layer of “ick!”
If Russell Brand’s presence makes you want to give this film a pass, that’s totally understandable. But for those willing to give it a chance, it’s a wonderful story about kindness and self-acceptance, with a great voice cast, a pleasant soundtrack, and surprisingly good diversity representation.
Number Six
Distributor: Amazon Prime Video
Production companies: Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment, DC Studios
Director: Mike Roth
Producer: Rebecca Palatnik
Writers: Morgan Evans and Mike Roth (story), Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci (screenplay)
Music: Patrick Stump
This newest entry in the Caped Crusader mythos might be one of its most radical departures from the usual Batman canon we’ve had in a while, and it’s all the better for it.
This story takes place in a glorious future version of Gotham where Batman (voiced by Luke Wilson) has virtually eradicated Gotham’s criminal element. As such, Bruce Wayne has retired, focusing on raising his rambunctious son Damien (Yonas Kibreab), who wants to fight crime like his dad but can’t because, in addition to Gotham’s lack of criminals nowadays, Bruce is determined to make sure Damien has the proper childhood that he never got. However, Bruce soon gets called away on a Justice League emergency and gets the house to himself when he sends Alfred (James Cromwell) to the store for marshmallows. But things get complicated when the toy utility belt Bruce gave him gets stolen by a pair of burglars. And it gets worse when Damien discovers who they work for: the Joker (David Hornsby), who plans to use Damien as a pawn in his evil plan to ruin Christmas.
Probably the most radical change present in this version of the Batman story is the animation and character designs, which trade the semi-realistic style that’s been the norm for D.C. animated properties since Batman: The Animated Series and trades it for a much more cartoonish style reminiscent of Ronald Searles. This lends the film a children’s storybook feel that complements the Yuletide setting and the much happier life situation that Bruce Wayne has found himself in. The animation also includes a subtle “boiling lines” effect, further emphasizing the zany atmosphere.
The voice cast is perfect. Kibreab perfectly walks the fine line between bratty and well-meaning, Wilson gives the retired Bruce Wayne an appropriately amiable edge, Cromwell is a good match for an aged but still devoted Alfred Pennyworth, and Hornsby absolutely steals the show with a Joker that is every bit as manic and unpredictable as Mark Hamill at his best.
The story is as perfectly heartwarming and cheerful as any good Christmas story should be, and the comedy is top-notch throughout. Highlights include Bruce attempting to dissuade Damien from crimefighting by showing him his hilariously mangled ribcage (and Damien just finding it cool), Bane (Chris Sullivan) being a hulking glob of muscle and varicose veins that can only speak in unintelligible growls, and Dolph Adomian’s performance as Mr. Freeze, which is an obvious lighthearted jab at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the character in Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin.
My only complaint about the film is its presence on Amazon Prime despite being a Warner Brothers property. It’s yet another reminder about how much of a clusterfuck W.B. has become ever since David Zaslav failed his way upward into his current position as the company’s CEO (something that is especially relevant now with the Coyote vs. Acme fiasco).
But that’s not the film’s fault. Indeed, even if I have massive issues with Amazon and Jeff Bezos, I’m glad they managed to save this future holiday classic from tax write-off purgatory.
Number Five
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Peter Sohn
Producer: Denise Ream
Writers: Peter Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh (story), Kat Likkel, Jon Hoberg, Brenda Hsueh (screenplay)
Music: Thomas Newman
In a year where Disney seems to be failing again and again, both artistically and in a business sense (especially embarrassing given that 2023 was their 100th anniversary), it’s nice to know that they gave us at least one feature film that’s actually worth the price of admission (although I haven’t seen Wish yet, so maybe that one isn’t as bad as people claim it is… though I’m not holding my breath).
The story follows Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis), a fire elemental who lives in Element City with her immigrant parents, Bernie and Cinder (Ronnie del Carmen and Shila Ommi), who own a convenience store called the Fireplace. Life is tough for a fire element in a big city. Ember has to deal with xenophobia from the other three elements to the point that fire elementals have become ghettoized, water elemental infrastructure that threatens to put her out at every turn (hence the umbrella she carries around), and pressure from her father to take over the family business. The latter point is a problem since Ember can barely control her temper around his demanding customers, and since she’s literally made of fire, things tend to go BOOM when she’s angry. One such outburst wrecks the water pipes in the shop’s basement. When a water elemental city inspector named Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) gets accidentally sucked in, he reluctantly writes the Lumens up. This sparks an adventure where Ember and Wade slowly discover ways in which fire and water can be reconciled, and Ember questions whether taking over the Fireplace really is her destiny or if there’s a different path in life for her.
If there’s one aspect where this film shines, it’s the animation. It couldn’t have been easy to animate characters made out of fire and water that are constantly morphing and shifting and shimmering, but Pixar passed that test with flying colors. The environmental design of Element City is very pretty to look at, even if the air and earth sides of the city feel underexplored.
The characters are likable and funny. Ember and Wade’s budding romance is handled with care and believability, and the emotional Wade is a perfect antidote to the often harmful and repressive masculine stereotypes frequently peddled by today’s right-wing media influencers. The voice cast is vibrant and exciting. In addition to the other actors mentioned above, standout performances include Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade’s hammy air elemental boss, Gale Cumulus, and Catharine O’Hara as Wade’s equally heart-on-sleeve mother, Brook.
The film’s biggest flaws lie in its story, which, in addition to following the same Pixar formula of “what if (x inanimate object) had feelings,” also falls prey to the same problems inherent in other race allegory stories like Zootopia. For instance, elementals in this universe are clearly different species, whereas in the real world, white people, black people, Asian people, indigenous people, etc., are definitely not.
Still, when the story is told with this level of sincerity, and the characters are this likable and three-dimensional, is that really a bad thing?
Number Four
Distributor: Netflix
Production companies: Netflix Animation, Animal Logic, Happy Madison Productions, Screen NSW
Directors: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, David Watchenheim
Producers: Adam Sandler, Mireille Soria
Writers: Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, Paul Sado
Music: Geoff Zanelli (score), Robert Smigel (songs)
Of all the people to make what is arguably the best animated musical of the year (on the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, no less), one would hardly expect that person to be Adam Sandler. Yet, here we are.
This story follows the titular tuatara (voiced by Sandler) and his box turtle roommate Squirtle (Bill Burr), who serve as class pets for the fifth-grade classroom at Fort Myers Elementary School in Florida. After the sunny Mrs. Salinas (Allison Strong) is replaced by the strict Virginia Malkin (Cecily Strong (no relation)), Leo starts experiencing an existential crisis when he overhears a parent claim that tuataras can live for 75 years, which is a problem as Leo is 74 and hasn’t done much of anything with his life, like go and see the Everglades. When he is taken home for the weekend by the overly talkative Summer (Sunny Sandler), he tries to make his escape, only to be sucked into using his 74 years of wisdom to help her out after he accidentally reveals he can talk. One by one, the other students take Leo home and learn valuable life lessons from the wise rhynchocephalian. But trouble begins brewing as Squirtle and Ms. Malkin start to get jealous of the attention he’s getting.
If one were to judge this film by its story, one might come away wondering what the big deal is. The third act feels a bit half-baked, and the whole subplot of Leo swearing each kid to secrecy felt like a poor excuse for a “liar revealed” plotline. However, everything surrounding that story helps the film rise above its shortcomings.
The voice acting is good throughout. Sandler’s voice for Leo sounds somewhat off-putting at first, almost like he’s doing a bad impression of Peter Griffin. I can easily see that being a turn-off for some people, but I quickly got used to it. Bill Burr provides plenty of sardonic comic relief as Squirtle, and you can’t go wrong with Jason Alexander as Jayda’s stuck-up dermatologist father. Speaking of Jayda, she and the other kids are very well-acted too. Sandler’s daughters, Sunny and Sadie, appear as Summer and Jayda, respectively.
While the children’s problems vary (Summer is too talkative, Jayda feels constrained by her privileged upbringing, Eli’s parents are overprotective, Cole is insecure about his high-pitched voice, Anthony is a bully with anger issues, Mia is dealing with a divorce, etc.), they’re ultimately rooted in the same causes; they’re worried about the future, they’re afraid they’re not able to fit in, and they feel like they can’t relate to their parents. Leo (both the film and the character) tackles these issues with kindness and empathy, often through songs that strike the right balance between sarcasm and sincerity.
Of course, being an Adam Sandler flick, there’s plenty of good comedy. Highlights include Summer’s incessant talking while watching James Cameron’s Ttianic causing Jack and Rose to fall asleep, Squirtle “educating” Anthony on where babies come from, and anything involving the kindergartners (animated to look like hyperactive bug-eyed gremlins).
This is a surprisingly fantastic film, given who made it. It’s got great life lessons for kids and adults, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best films Sandler has been involved with in a while.
Oh, and speaking of reptiles…
Number Three
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production companies: Nickelodeon Movies, Point Grey Pictures
Director: Jeff Rowe
Producers: Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
Writers: Brendan O'Brien, Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe (story), Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit (screenplay), Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman (characters created by)
Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
This newest entry in the saga of everyone’s favorite crime-fighting terrapins combines several familiar elements of the franchise with new twists and turns and wraps it all up in an appropriately grimy animation style.
Even non-fans of the franchise know the story at this point: A group of four baby turtles and an adult rat are mutated by a substance called Ooze into intelligent humanoids who learn martial arts while living in the New York City sewer system and moonlight as crime fighters. There’s the blue bandana-clad leader Leonardo (voiced by Nicholas Cantu), the aggressive red bandana-clad Raphael (Brady Noon), the purple bandana-clad boy genius Donatello (Micah Abbey), and orange bandana-clad jokester Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.). However, there are a few notable differences. Their rodent mentor, Splinter (Jackie Chan), is much more xenophobic toward humans, owing to their hostile reaction the last time he tried to integrate his family into their society. As such, the brothers can only go out long enough to get groceries. One night, though, after recovering aspiring journalist April O’Neil’s (Ayo Edebri) stolen moped from a gang of criminals, they stumble across a criminal conspiracy involving a mutant housefly named Superfly (Ice Cube). They start to bond with Superfly over their creation at the hands of mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Giancarlo Esposito). But will the turtles’ need for acceptance blind them to Superfly’s evil plans?
I’ll admit upfront that I’m approaching this movie as a non-fan of the franchise (the only other entry I’ve seen is Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Even so, I cannot deny that this film hooked me from start to finish.
The animation style sets this apart from other 2-D/CG films of its ilk in the grimy textures of its environmental design and the mishappen designs of the characters, which look as if they were ripped straight out of a high-schooler’s notebook doodles. The actors giving life to these characters are all brilliant. Indeed, the most notable aspect of Mutant Mayhem is that all of the turtles are voiced by actual teenagers for once, which lends this entry an added layer of authenticity to the characters’ interactions.
Other standout performances include Chan (who excellently portrays this more stern and neurotic version of Splinter), Cube (who is equal parts hilariously hammy and genuinely intimidating as the villainous Superfly), Maya Rudolph (playing Stockman’s ruthless former employer Cynthia Utrom), Paul Rudd (as the surfer-bro Mondo Gecko), and Seth Rogan as franchise mainstay Bebop (alongside John Cena as Rocksteady).
It probably goes without saying that the action scenes are spectacular, especially the fight with the gang that robs April and the climactic battle in Times Square. The comedy is top-notch as well, especially Donnie getting a sai in the leg during the garage battle, the whole running gag of Splinter’s fear of the boys getting “milked” by the humans (“We don’t even have nipples!” Raph protests), April’s uncontrollable vomiting whenever she gets in front of a camera, and Splinter acting like the boys said a racial slur after they accuse Donnie of “ratting us out.”
If there is one thing wrong with the film, I would probably point to the constant pop culture references. I’ll admit that this didn’t annoy me as much as it did some other critics, especially since random pop culture references are common among teenagers. However, I did get annoyed when Superfly declared himself “Supa-Dupa Fly” during the climax and felt the need to clarify that he was referencing Missy Elliot. For God’s sake, I’m not even a big hip-hop fan, and I understood that reference! But that’s more of a nitpick than anything.
Even if you’re not a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles super-fan, I still cannot recommend this film highly enough. It’s got a distinctive animation style, the characters are fun and well-acted, the comedy and action are excellent, and the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is just as grimy as the setting. Check it out if you’re so inclined!
Oh, and speaking of superheroes…
Number Two
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Production companies: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures Animation, Pascal Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, Arad Productions
Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Producers: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, Christina Steinberg
Writers: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham
Music: Daniel Pemberton
The sequel to the film that pioneered the 2-D/CG boom is everything a good follow-up should be, building on the previous film’s themes while building a unique identity all its own.
Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) comes to blows with a new villain of the week who calls himself the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who has it out for Miles as he was mutated during the Alchemax collider explosion in the first film. As he scrambles to try and stop this new foe, he reunites with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), who is on the run from her home universe after accidentally revealing her secret identity to her police officer father, George (Shea Wigham). Despite Gwen’s warnings against it, Miles decides to seek help from the Spider-Society, a massive team of Spider-Man variants from across the multiverse led by the Byronic Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), who is determined to stop anything not deemed a “canon event,” no matter the cost.
I should probably address the elephant in the room before we get started. In the weeks following the films release, several animators who worked on Across the Spider-Verse came out with allegations of poor working conditions, similar to the recent widespread stories of crunch and overwork in the video game industry. Several animators said they sat idle for 3-6 months in 2021 while the film was in lay-out stage, and compared the subsequent commencement of the animation process to an avalanche or a dam burst. They were forced to work 80-hour weeks for the next year to reach their deadlines, something that was not helped by Phil Lord’s constant rewrites and subsequent throwing out of fully rendered sequences. Indeed, one animator claimed that 90% of the footage shown in the trailer was cut out of the final film, while another claimed that Lord was still doing rewrites the same week that animation work wrapped up.
And yet, despite (and I emphasize DESPITE) the poor treatment the animators received, I can’t give this film anything less than a 10/10. The animation is just as vibrant as the first film’s, with different art styles for all the different universes shown throughout. The characters are just as interesting as they’ve always been, both the returning characters and the new additions, and the voice cast that brings them to life is excellent as always. In addition to the ones already mentioned (with Schwartzman especially managing to ride the fine line between silly and scary as the Spot, and Isaac being downright terrifying as the fanatical O’Hara), we have Brian Tyree Henry and Lauren Velez as Miles’ exasperated parents, Jake Johnson as the delightfully goofy Peter B. Parker, Issa Rae as O’Hara’s badass (and pregnant) second-in-command Jess Drew/Spider-Woman, and Daniel Kaluuya as the gleefully anarchic Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk.
To top it all off, the story is tight and fast-paced, to the point that when it ended, I audibaly said, “Wait…that’s it?” Which is a hell of a thing to say about a film that’s 140 minutes long (thus surpassing Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 Lord of the Rings adaptation as the longest American animated film). The themes contained within that story are potent, examining the concept of free will vs. determinism in the form of “canon events” and asking the question of why it is that we so often define heroism through tragedy.
Of course, if the treatment of the animators makes you want to give this film a pass, I can understand. Let’s just hope that when it comes time to animate Beyond the Spider-Verse, Lord and Miller take Gwen’s advice from the opening lines: “Let’s do things differently this time. Like, so differently.”
Number One
Distributor: Netflix
Production company: Annapurna Pictures
Directors: Nick Bruno, Tony Quane
Producers: Karen Ryan, Julie Zackary, Roy Lee
Writers: Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor, Pamela Ribon, Marc Haimes, Nick Bruno, Tony Quane, Keith Bunin (story), Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor (screenplay)
Music: Christophe Beck
This film is the ultimate underdog story, both thematically and on a meta-level. Based on the graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson, the film was originally a production of Blue Sky Studios, the company that brought us Ice Age, Rio, Robots, and The Peanuts Movie. But then Disney swooped in and bought 20th Century Fox, Blue Sky’s parent company, and shut the studio down to protect its bottom line in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. But then Netflix and Annapurna Pictures came to the rescue, and thank God they did because this is easily my favorite animated film of the year (Across the Spider-Verse might have come a bit closer if it weren’t for the working conditions controversy dragging it down).
The story revolves around a pair of outcasts in a futuristic, medieval society guarded by an elite Institute of Knights descended from a mythic heroine named Gloreth, who has sworn to destroy any monster that appears in their walled-off kingdom. The one knight not descended from Gloreth, a former commoner named Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed), finds himself framed for the murder of Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint) and his arm cut off by his fellow knight and boyfriend Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang). While trying to find a way to clear his name, he is accosted by a mischievous teenage girl named Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz), who sees Ballister as a kindred spirit and seeks to become his sidekick. Ballister initially wants nothing to do with her, especially after he learns that Nimona is a shapeshifter fond of using her powers to cause all kinds of mayhem in the shape of rhinos, whales, dragons, otters, and everything in between. But as the story progresses, Ballister and Nimona begin to bond over their mutual persecution, especially as they learn more about the duplicitous nature of the Institute and its Director (Frances Conroy).
It’s hard to know where to start when pointing out where this film succeeds. Everything across the board is perfectly executed. Christophe Beck’s score is infused with the appropriate level of punk rock and thrash metal energy to compliment its subversive tone. The animation, despite appearing somewhat unfinished in places, is still vibrant and colorful, and the animators were clearly having fun with Nimona’s various transformations. There are a lot of great comedic scenes, especially with Ballister trying to rein in Nimona’s insanity (“If you see anyone…” “Murder ‘em!” “HIDE! If you see anyone, hide!”).
The voices are all perfectly cast. Ahmed and Moretz have lovely chemistry as the vitriolic misfit criminal duo, Yang perfectly portrays Ambrosius’ conflicted feelings over having to hunt down his fugitive boyfriend, Conroy is chillingly effective as the cold and ruthless Director, and Beck Bennett is hilarious as Ballister’s manchild bully Sir Thoddeus “Todd” Sureblade.
But what really makes the film stick out are the parts where the film gets serious. The queer themes are tackled with the utmost seriousness (unsurprisingly, since ND Stevenson is transmasculine and non-binary). Indeed, for all of her comedic shapeshifter shenanigans and carefree punk rock attitude, it becomes clear at some points that Nimona is carrying a lot of sadness and anger over how society has rejected her. All of this leads up to the reveal of her tragic backstory and one of the most powerful endings to an animated film that I’ve seen in a while.
And that is why I’m proud to call Nimona my favorite animated film of 2023. It’s got humor and heart, action and adventure, and much-needed messages about acceptance and not judging a book by its cover (oh, also, that arm-chopping is not a love language). I think you owe it to yourself to give this film a watch at least once.
Well, there you have it! Now it’s time to choose my favorite animated TV shows of 2023. That probably won’t be out for a while, though, as I still have a lot of shows I need to catch up on. Indeed, it’s far more likely that my next “Cryptids of North America” entry on Massachusetts will come out before that.
But whatever comes next on this blog, stay tuned, and I’ll see you next weekend. Thank you! Buh-bye!
