“Wolfwalkers” is a fantasy adventure animated movie released that released Nov. 13. Credit: Apple TV+ via TNS
Whimsical, heartfelt and genuine movies are hard to come by, but the recent animated fantasy “Wolfwalkers” checks off all the boxes.
Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, “Wolfwalkers” released Friday and is rooted in Irish folklore and art.
It follows the tale of a young girl, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), and her father, Bill (Sean Bean), who have been called from their homeland of England to take out a troublesome pack of wolves in the town of Kilkenny, Ireland, in the 17th century. Robyn longs for the freedom she once had in England and wants to follow in her father’s footsteps as a hunter.
On the other side of the forest are wolfwalkers — a small breed of unique humans with the ability of turning into wolves when they sleep. They have control over wild wolves living in the surrounding forests. The wolfwalkers are forced to lash out as the townsfolk destroy their home, hunting them. Robyn must act as a mediator for her Irish town and the wolfwalkers of the forest.
The film features Celtic art and beautifully designed hand-drawn animation that is rough around the edges to make a wholly unique style. “Wolfwalkers” doesn’t have the smooth, perfect proportions seen in other animated films such as “Frozen,” but rather something resembling a moving storybook with lopsided characters, thick edge lines and colors bursting in every frame. The film’s stunning locations have so much life and texture.
The rich, earthy woods at the center of the conflict is where this style is seen the most. It contains mammoth trees spiraling off in every odd direction blocking out the frame and dwarfing our heroine as she wanders through it, singing songs to herself for comfort. As she settles in and spends more time in the woods, it opens up and reveals itself to be a place of stunning beauty with babbling brooks, toppled over trees with their roots at impossible angles and ancient pathways waiting to be discovered.
“Wolfwalkers” isn’t a revolutionary story, but what it does, it does well. It has something for everybody: sweeping montages, an emotional climax and tactical fight scenes. Despite its PG rating, the movie does not shy away from violence.
The heart of the film, however, lies within the characters. The film has such a subtle way of endearing characters through great voice work, design and small character moments. Robyn, for example, is a small, blonde, blue-eyed girl who is not meek and always stands up for what she believes is right — often putting herself in danger.
I couldn’t help but want the best for Robyn, who yearns for adventure and justice, or the spunky, energetic wolfwalker Mebh (Eva Whittaker) who has a heart of gold. Although Robyn’s father often acts as a barrier to her goals, I understood where he was coming from in his actions as a single father who wants the best for his daughter. Although the villain, a militaristic ruler known as Lord Protector (Simon McBurney), is one of the weaker points as he is a little one-dimensional, he serves his purpose well enough.
“Wolfwalkers” is a great example of a smart, distinctive animation and a key example that animated movies do not need to be dumbed down to be enjoyable. The characters have depth, and the visuals are some of the best I’ve seen. Although the storyline isn’t overly unique and the villain is dull, it was still a great watch.
Rating: 4/5
