Rating: PG
Genre: Animation / Fantasy / Adventure
Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Content Warnings: Dismemberment, Gaslighting
Full lists:
– https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/464312
– https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19500164/parentalguide
| When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem – who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc – for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc. |
The Visuals: It took me a little bit to get into the animation style but by the end of it… I dig it! It’s really expressive without being overly cartoony, and I really like the blend of medieval fantasy and scifi tech. I love Nimona’s expressions and I think the lighting was done especially well. The character designs were also great! Some really good shape-language going on. I also really enjoyed the color choices — they always seemed really purposeful, drawing the eye to where it was meant to go. Very stylish!
The Music: It felt a little out of place with the scifantasy theme, but I enjoy a good bouncy pop punk anthem hahahaha. It was a bit of a mismatch, but so was Nimona, so in its way I think it really fit. I’m definitely gonna have to sit down and spend a little more time with the soundtrack. Were all those songs made just for the film? They felt “believable” in a way that a lot of manufactured soundtracks like that do not — as in, I could see the songs existing outside of the film.
The Plot: A little convoluted in places, but it kept me entertained throughout. I actually didn’t call the real villain, ahhh! Though it can be hard to tell whether that’s because I missed the clues or due to being purposefully twisty in an obnoxious way. I would need to watch it again to have a solid opinion on it. I might update this review if I do. I was crying by the end of it, but man… I always cry. I’m a weenie like that. I liked how the queer characters just… were. It’s good to see them existing casually in a world. It didn’t feel tokeny or anything, it just kinda felt right.
Overall Opinion: I had a lot of fun! Even my husband put down his phone to pay attention, and he’s normally not at all into animation. It’s a story with a lot of heart!