Wolfwalkers
It’s been said many times over the years that the best way towards understanding is to walk a day in another person’s shoes. There’s certainly some truth to that, and in “Wolfwalkers,” it is the fulcrum which sets this wonderful story in motion.
When this story first began, and we are with Robin (Honor Kneafsey) and her father (Sean Bean), even though they have blonde hair instead of black hair, it was impossible not to think about this as some sort of fan fiction about Ned Stark and Arya- it’s not, obviously, and it’s a great film on its own terms, but the way Bill, the father, is dressed, my mind just went there. They have moved to Ireland from England to help rid the land of a wolf issue in the nearby forest. Bill is a master hunter, and Robin begins the film by firing a crossbow at a poster of a wolf’s head. Robin very much wants to help, and she seems to get her chance, but something unusual happens when she is confronted by the wolves that will change her perspective.
I’m very hesitant to reveal too much of the story and narrative of the film, but I really loved the ways in which Will Collins’s screenplay plays into some formulas of animated family movies while bucking others to get to its themes. If you want a good comparison film, Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke” is very much a template, right down to a respect for the Earth and animals, though not hit home with quite the intensity as that film had. This is very much a film children can enjoy without getting too scared, but also something adults will appreciate, as well.
I will admit to not having seen any of Tomm Moore’s other films, which include “The Secret of Kells” and “Song of the Sea,” but what he and co-director Ross Stewart have created here makes me want to. This is one of the most uniquely beautiful animated films we’ve gotten in years, and the designs are like something out of Where the Wild Things Are or other children’s literature. At the same time, there’s weight and strength to the characters and movements to go along with the lush loveliness of the style of the film. There are wonderfully playful moments along with deeply emotional ones that would only be as effective as they are with the animation used to bring them to life, although a soundtrack by Bruno Coulais, which includes some great songs, helps in the emotional part.
One of the most unfortunate things that has happened in American moviewatching has been how animation has basically become Disney-dominated, with other studios having to hope that they can somehow catch lightening in a bottle to get seen. Streaming has helped that, and I hope that because of that, “Wolfwalkers” can find the audience it so deserves. It’s one of the best examples of creating something special through the art of animation I’ve seen in a number of years.
