Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Writer: Jericca Cleland, Will Collins (Screenplay) Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart (Story)
Starring: (Voice Talents) Sean Bean, Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Simon McBurney
Plot: A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.
Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Wolfwalkers starts as a hunter Bill and his daughter Robyn have moved from England to an Irish town that is surrounded by wolves, Bill is hired to help eradicate this problem, with Robyn desperate to help him in this work.
After Robyn gets caught outside the wall, she finds herself coming face to face with a pack of wolves, with the leader being a Wolfwalkers Mebh a young girl that transform into a wolf, looking to protect the forest from destruction.
Thoughts on Wolfwalkers
Characters – Bill is Robyn’s father, he has moved her to help a city with a wolf problem outside the walls, his hunters skills are considered the best in the land, only he wants to work alone and the wolves seem to be staying ahead of him, as he never wants to believe any of Robyn’s stories. Robyn is the daughter of Bill’s who along with her bird Merlin hasn’t settled in the new city, she wants to help her father hunt, which sees her meeting a young girl roaming the forest, here she learns more about the world outside of the walls and that nature can live next to the civilization. Mebh is a young girl living in the forest, she has the ability of a Wolfwalker, being about to transform into a wolf while sleeping, she leads the wolves in defending the forest, while waiting for her mother to return, she shows Robyn the way, when she becomes one and will do anything to bring her mother back, while deep down being so alone in the world. Lord Protector runs the city, he expects everyone to follow his orders and will kill any wolf that gets in his way, a truly cold-hearted figure.
Story – The story here follows a city believing they have a problem with wolves outside of the walls, when a young girl that wants to explore the world finds herself in the middle of the battle between the two sides, one which could be kept in peace, showing that nature is innocent in what it wants in the world. The story here has clear messages about living together with nature, while not blindly destroying it around you, while having the heart of a family trying to rediscover themselves after losing a loved one, add in the need for friendship and it coming from a place you wouldn’t expect, we have a nearly perfect movie her with a story that can be enjoyed by all and is the closest you will find to anything that could ever compare to the heart of a Pixar film and the beauty of a Studio Ghibli Film.
Adventure – The adventure side of the film takes Robyn out of her trapped life in the city, to the open world which could offer her so much more than she ever expected, once she opens her eyes to it, filled with peril along the way.
Settings – The film uses the two main settings, the dark city, which is filled with the depressing colours, playing perfectly off the pure beauty of the outside nature world.
Animation – The animation style is absolutely beautiful to see, with the different style used for the human form or the wolf form, each color plays into the nature theme throughout the film.
Scene of the Movie – Running with the wolves.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is flawless.
Final Thoughts – Wolfwalkers is easily going to walk away with the best animated movie this year, the pure beauty of every scene brings animation to a new level, we haven’t seen before, simply stunning.
