Authors: Ben <benulo@systemli.org>
Dated: 2020-12-14
Yesterday my wife and I finally got to see Wolfwalkers, something I was anticipating for a few weeks since I first read about it. We saw Song of the Sea years ago and I liked it but found it overly depressing. (Although, it's been a while since I've seen it, so I might do a re-watch, starting from the studio's first of its now three Irish folklore animations, The Secret of Kells.)
As someone who likes and appreciates animation, I would say Wolfwalkers was a rare treat. Is it cinematic perfection? Well, no... perhaps the glowing reviews hyped it up a bit, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from watching it. Yes, it is geared towards a younger audience, and it's got some Disney vibes including some song in the middle. Fair enough.
On the whole, it was beautifully done, showing some great artistic talent, from the visuals/aesthetic, voice acting, story-telling, and a fair bit of melodrama. There's lots of crying. (You'll probably cry too.) You also get the epic happy ending that is totally predictable if you can accept that it's coming. (I kept expecting the film to take a darker turn, but it's for the children.)
Anyway, it was very fun, I would say an hour and a half well spent. By the end the film started to feel a little dragged out, so maybe it could have been shorter given the plot. On the other hand, given the artistic merits that I mentioned earlier (art, voice acting), it is worth the time.
I could say more, but I think I'll forgo critical analysis in favor of just letting you watch it yourself. People are already declaring it the best animated film of 2020, and it's gearing up for some awards if it hasn't won them already.