This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Brittney Scott-Pulliam’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
I’d like to start by saying that I loved this film! The animation and attention to detail was great. For me, the little details were so creative (like, the swimming house).
The storyline was great. I liked that they placed the storyline in the mid 1900’s. In this era, a lot of important inventions were being discovered/made. Seeing what it would have been like if these people didn’t exist or if pivotal things like, electricity, hadn’t been discovered was interesting. We are used to the world the way it is now and are always looking for new ways to preserve our world. Sometimes, we blame “inventions” for the “condition” of our world. But, in this movie you got to see how a “simpler” way of life could have affected us.
From the poor air quality (due to all the soot in the air), to the complete deforestation in Europe, it was becoming clear that these geniuses (that were being kidnapped in this film) were vital to the progressive environment we get to enjoy today. The creators of this film brought a new prospective and got me thinking about things I normally wouldn’t have.
The comedic aspect of this movie is what kept me engaged. You don’t feel like you are learning anything. It was truly entertaining. I even rewatched it with my children. The characters each had their own distinct personality and role in the movie. I loved watching all relationships develop as well. The relationship between April (the daughter) and Darwin (the cat) was just touching. Her “pet” becomes her friend, then her “friend” becomes all she had at one phase of the film. The relationship between April’s parents… They went from being a team, to being on 2 different sides of what they both viewed as the right cause. April and Julius go from being enemies, for lack of a better word, to getting married and growing old together. And The Inspector went from the villain that broke up the Franklin family, to what he was referred to as the “walking catastrophe”, to being viewed as the hero by society.
I can’t say enough good things about this film. I loved it and will definitely watch it again.