A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe
out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she meets a
free-spirited girl from a tribe rumoured to transform into wolves by
night.
Review by
Musanna Ahmed
Directed by: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Voices: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon
McBurney
It’s understandable that Pixar is affiliated with emotional narratives
(just look up the “Pixar what if” meme) and why Hayao Miyazaki is
considered the world’s greatest animator. But Cartoon Saloon, an
animation studio based in Kilkenny, Ireland, has been quietly killing it
for over a decade now, with four heartwarming features that all deserve
to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned names. None of
the films - The Secret of Kells,
Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner - have had strong commercial success
but all have been nominated for an Oscar. I suspect
Wolfwalkers will continue the tradition, for it is akin to
top-tier Studio Ghibli and the best Disney movies of the '90s.
This film is absolutely beautiful, in terms of both narrative and
aesthetic. Co-directed by Tomm Moore - the studio’s Pete Docter -
and Ross Stewart, Wolfwalkers is a rousing
historical tale revolving around an enigmatic tribe in Ireland who can
transform into wolves at night. Set during Cromwell’s conquest of
Ireland, the adventure centres on a young English girl, Robyn
Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey) who’s learning to hunt wolves under
the guidance of her father, Bill (Sean Bean). Together, they head
to Ireland to seek out the last surviving pack of wolves.
Robyn’s curiosity to explore the forbidden territories beyond the
city’s walls lands her at the doorstep of a wolf den, which she peeks
into and watches as a young girl who looks a lot like Merida from
Brave
- this film answers the “what if” question of “What if
Brave but better?” - who is able to command the wolves.
This girl, Mebh (Eva Whittaker), can’t wake up her unconscious
mother Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), who will remain dormant until
her wolf counterpart comes back to the cave to inhabit her (think of the
body-transfer process in Avatar).
Caught spying on the wolves, Robyn is chased by Mebh but there’s little
animosity upon confrontation. They quickly become friends and set out
together to find Mebh’s mum, who’s been captured by Cromwell’s army. But
when Robyn discovers she can transform into a wolf overnight, the
odyssey becomes incredibly complicated and threatens to tear the family
dynamic apart. It’s a wonderfully rich story with several layers: a
gorgeous examination of parent-child relationships, a poignant
commentary on our recklessness towards endangered species, and a pointed
historical allegory of Britain’s subjugation of Ireland.
Superb voice acting across the board powers the multi-dimensional
characters, in addition to detailed 2D animation. With an expressive
mise-en-scène and a lovely colour palette, it may be the best cinematic
artwork since Into the Spider-Verse. Norwegian folktronica musician Aurora made a prescient song back in
2015 called 'Running with the Wolves', which is beautifully applied
here, so perfectly appropriate that one could assume the film was
written around this track.
Oftentimes, animation movies are targeted for kids but Cartoon Saloon
likes to situate their films in a strong political context and don’t
thrive on the same broad humour of the giant studios, giving them a
greater appeal to adults. But, while adults should see
Wolfwalkers without question, it is strongly recommended
to younger audiences because it tells an accessible story about history
with a great moral about the importance of connecting with those who
don’t look or sound like you.
Wolfwalkers is on Apple TV+ from December 11th.
