Skip to main content

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)

 


Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is the latest animated film by Dreamworks. 

Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl, the film is focused on a teenage girl trying to go to prom with her love interest. The movie has a lot of great shots, intentional zooms, and transitions that made for an enjoyable experience, plus the emotional animation helps. 

The writers are Pam Brady, Brian C. Brown, and Elliot Diguiseppi. To be progressive the girl is asking the boy and as a teacher, I've asked my students this question. Many believe that it's still the boy's responsibility to ask out the girl. Not sure whose idea it was but I'm not sure if teenage Texans are going to entertain that idea in today's USA. 

Lana Condor is Ruby and I haven't heard her voice enough to know it was her. She was from Alita: Battle Angel, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and X-Men: Apocalypse as Jubilee. On the other hand, Jane Fonda and Toni Collette's voices are easily recognizable and fit the role they are being asked to voice. They are Grandmamah and Ruby's mother. Another voice you'll recognize if you listen closely is that of Will Forte as Gordon Lighthouse. Forte will forever be The Last Man on Earth and MacGruber for me. Also, Annie Murphy from Schitt's Creek plays the vain villain in the movie and her voice always had that when she was Alexis Rose. Ew David.

The film is better than okay, and better than anything Disney has put out in the animation department in a long while. It's certainly Above Average. B-

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nobody 2 (2025)

Nobody 2 comes with a change in creative leadership, as Timo Tjahjanto takes over directing duties from Ilya Naishuller . The difference is noticeable, with the sequel lacking the same energy and spark that made the first film stand out. The script, written by Aaron Rabin , suffers from uneven pacing and tonal issues. While he avoids some of the pitfalls that bogged down his work on Marvel’s Secret Invasion , his late-game writing choices undercut the story’s tension and credibility. Bob Odenkirk once again commits to his role, doing the best he can with a weaker script. His physicality and dry delivery still make him a compelling lead, but the film doesn’t give him much new ground to cover. You'll remember Bob from Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad . Connie Nielsen is underwritten, with her character lacking individuality or meaningful development. She feels more like a placeholder than a partner to Odenkirk’s character, which is disappointing given her talent. You'll r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Americana (2025)

Americana (2025) is written and directed by Tony Tost , best known for his work on Longmire . His approach here focuses more on character work than plot, with the script itself being serviceable but not remarkable. Still, it provides a strong platform for the cast to showcase their abilities. Sydney Sweeney delivers an impressive performance as a waitress with a stutter, bringing nuance and empathy to a role that could have easily felt one-note. It’s one of her more grounded performances and a highlight of the film. You'll remember Syd from her American Eagle commercial. Halsey is nearly unrecognizable in her role, playing with a fierceness that stands out and proves her versatility outside of music. Her presence commands attention whenever she’s on screen. I was first introduced to her from MGK 's music video Forget Me Too. Eric Dane takes on a villain role and succeeds at being thoroughly hate-able, leaning into his darker side effectively. His work gives the film muc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Escape Room (2019)

Escape Room  is presented as a Saw-like game of puzzle solving or your life ends. This time around they remove the gore to get a PG-13 rating and a January release. Adam Robitel is best known as the director of Insidious: The Last Key. Which I 'saw' and meh'd about last year. He also did Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension which I haven't seen. I stopped watching the Paranormal movies after The Marked Ones. There are some camera/direction problems nothing an average movie-goer would notice. Taylor Russell plays the main character Zoey. Don't take any offense, but she has a really hard time going full Aspergers, but once she turns Lara Croft she does a decent job. She also did the over-looked Lost in Space TV series which I still need to watch. I want to see Deborah Ann Woll in more movies after seeing her in this. She was a shining star in this film. She plays a former military survivor with a lot of baggage. You'll remember her as Karen Page from ...
Post a Comment
Read more