by Miguel E. Rodriguez
DIRECTORS: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
CAST: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy
MY RATING: 9/10
ROTTEN TOMATOMETER: 94% Certified Fresh
PLOT: Framed for a crime he didn’t commit, a knight in a futuristic world reluctantly accepts the help of a shapeshifting teenager to prove his innocence.
Just when I thought the Spider-Verse animated films held the current monopoly on creating cool futuristic worlds, along comes Nimona with its delirious fusion of medieval pageantry with flying cars, cellphones, and annoying TV jingles. Put aside what some will no doubt call its “woke” agenda/storyline and just drink in the amazing visuals, as knights in shining armor wield swords as they ride hoverbikes into battle. (There is the occasional horse, naturally…some traditions apparently die hard in this version of the future.)
The pre-requisite prologue explains how a brave warrior queen, Gloreth, defeated a vile monster a thousand years ago. To maintain vigilance against any future attacks, Gloreth’s subjects erected a wall around their magnificent city and created the Institute, a sort of school-for-knights, to train their protectors from generation to generation.
One thousand years later, the city prepares to matriculate its current class of knights, including, for the first time in their history, a commoner, Ballister (Riz Ahmed), championed by the current Queen Valerin as a symbol of progress. What matters a knight’s lineage if his heart is brave, and his spirit is bold? This choice has not gone over well unanimously in the queendom, unfortunately, but she is confident in her choice. However, in a twist of fate, Ballister’s sword malfunctions during the knighthood ceremony, resulting in the Queen’s death, and Ballister, minus an arm, finds himself a fugitive.
He has exactly two allies. One is his romantic partner and fellow knight candidate, Ambrosius Goldenloin, a direct descendant of Gloreth herself, who spearheads the search for Ballister in an attempt to keep someone else from killing him outright. The other is a flighty, impetuous teenager who tracks Ballister down the following night and offers her services as sidekick to what she thinks is the newest villain in town, Ballister the Queen Slayer. This is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shapeshifter who can assume any form she desires, although her favorites appear to be a pink rhinoceros and a giant pink whale. She likes pink. And punk, as it turns out.
I imagine one could be cynical and say that what follows story-wise is nothing new: our heroes overcome initial adversities and suspicions of each other, they track down clues, deal with one or two serious crises, and eventually expose the truth of what really happened the day the Queen was killed. But that’s like saying The Stand is about a bunch of people who survive the end of the world and eventually defeat the bad guy. Well, duh. Nimona doesn’t offer anything outrageously subversive in the story department. What it offers is a fresh new imagination and perspective in how it tells this story, especially when it comes to the character of Nimona herself, the very definition of the rebel outsider who literally doesn’t fit in anywhere.
What makes great kids films work – what makes MOST films work – is how it invites the juvenile audience to identify with the main character. In Pinocchio, what little kid doesn’t know what it’s like when a lie grows out of control? In The Wizard of Oz, what little kid has never felt homesick? In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, what kid has never dreamed that they were special, not really meant for everyday life?
In Nimona, what kid has never felt alienated at some point in their life because of something that makes them different? They’re not as old as the grown-ups. They’re not as young as little babies anymore. They’re in an in-between world where they’re only as strong as the friends they make, if they’re lucky enough to make friends. What if there is something inherently different about them? Nimona has tried shapeshifting before, tried to explain her gift, but people immediately think of her as a monster instead of someone who’s gifted. There are echoes of the X-Men films here, too, but those mutants were lucky enough to find a home at Xavier’s mansion. Nimona is not so lucky. So, she decides to embrace the monstrous role society thrusts upon her. I imagine there are lots of people out there who feel the same to one degree or another. I’m not a sociologist, but it seems logical.
The real villain of the story (I won’t reveal their identity) does everything in their power to manipulate the narrative in the eyes of the public. At one point, their scheme is all but exposed, but they discover yet another way to maintain power: turn society on itself. They reveal the existence of the shapeshifter, explaining to the city that the real monster could be sitting next to you, or playing with your child, or living in your house. The sinister nature of this ploy made me genuinely angry, mostly because of how effective it is, both in the film and in real life. When you’re too busy fighting each other, the true villains win.
Enough philosophy. Nimona stands among the best animated films yet produced by Netflix (Klaus, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio). There is plenty of humor to go around to leaven the moments when the film goes deep into territories unexplored even in the best Pixar movies. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t recall a Pixar film where a character contemplates suicide as an alternative to grief.) The end credits inform me that Nimona is based on a graphic novel. Guess what I’m looking for on Amazon in a few minutes.
2 UNPAID MOVIE CRITICS!!!! 