by Vincent Abbatecola
Much like Pixar and Laika, Cartoon Saloon has become an animation studio that has released critically acclaimed movies that are as vibrant in their visuals as they are compelling in the stories that they tell. Between their previous three movies, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner, they have quickly joined the ranks of animators who provide colorful images that absorb you in their narratives.
The studio has now released their fourth movie, Wolfwalkers, which is directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, the former of whom directed The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. With a powerful, thrilling, and heartwarming story, the duo transports you to the mysticism of its locale.
In mid-17th century Ireland, Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey) is an apprentice hunter who lives with her father, Bill (Sean Bean), a hunter, who’s tasked with finding all of the wolves in the forest beyond their town and killing them. Upon her exploration, Robyn meets a mysterious young girl named Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker), who’s a member of a magical tribe of beings who turn into wolves at night. As Robyn and Mebh’s friendship becomes stronger, Robin will find herself becoming attached the very tribe that her father has been tasked with destroying.
The voice work from Kneafesy and Whittaker has their characters embrace the adventurous nature of Robyn and Mebh as they connect and build their relationship, and you can hear and feel the energy that they exhibit in their voices as they bring their roles to life. This is a friendship that’s built on their mutual love for adventure and exceeding people’s expectations of them: factors that deepen their bond as the mysticism of these magical wolves ties their fates together. These characters’ enthusiasm for exploration invests you in the excitement of their journey as they travel through the gorgeous greenery of the forest and invite you on their engaging quest, one that’s the most fantastical that you’ll find in any movie this year.
As Meg’s father, Bill, Bean brings a superb blend of love and authority as he indulges Robyn in her ambitions, but also protects her as they both come under scrutiny of the power-hungry Lord Protector (Simon McBurney). The father-daughter bond is every bit as moving as the friendship between Robyn and Mebh, and when the movie transitions its focus from the more central bond between Robyn and Mebh to that of Robyn and her father, you’ll find the latter to be just as heartwarming.
Much like The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, the screenplay by Will Collins, who wrote the latter, explores Irish folktales. It’s a celebration of the culture’s rich storytelling and is the type of magical story that you can see yourself listening to near a fireplace on a cold night. With aspects like family, friendship, adventure, mythical creatures, and an epic fight between good and evil, this is a fairy tale that never fails to enchant. Between the humor and heart-tugging emotion, you have a film that further solidifies Cartoon Saloon as a new force in breathtaking animated stories.
Moore and Stewart provide stunning animation as they immerse you in the film’s setting, both within the crowded environment of Robyn’s village, as well as the lushness of the forest in which the wolfwalkers live. They give the movie a feeling of watching a storybook coming to life, with the passing of each frame making it seem as though you’re hungrily turning pages to see what’s going to happen next. There’s a vividness to their style of animation that has their images leap off the screen and have you feel the story’s world all around you, making Wolfwalkers an experience that isn’t anything less than enthralling.
Grade: A