Movie Review: ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ is a delightful surprise
In a summer filled with massive blockbusters seemingly coming out every weekend, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” manages to shine bright.
By Connor Webber
When 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (voiced by Lana Condor) finds out she comes from a royal family where all the women are giant kraken sworn to protect the ocean against power-hungry mermaids, she must learn how to balance life above and below water.
Just when you start to forget that DreamWorks Animation exists, they release a series of movies that quickly remind you that they are still a force in the animation world. Last year DreamWorks released “The Bad Guys,” which I feel flew under the radar for most people, but it was ultimately one of the best-animated films of the year. DreamWorks also put out “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which ended up being much better than anyone could have anticipated. Now, they are releasing “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” which seems like a story we’ve seen before, but between the all-star cast and the beautiful animation, it’s hard not to adore it.
When it comes to animation, I tend to judge based on two factors: how the animation looks compared to things I’ve seen recently and the ability to tell a meaningful story for both children and adults. Coming after “Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse,” which is hands down one of the best-looking animated films I have ever seen, I was worried the traditional CGI animation in “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” wouldn’t “pop” as much. I was wrong.
In “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” there are three different types of people: humans, mermaids, and kraken, each with a small difference in animation that sets them apart. The use of water on the skin of some of the characters looked amazing, and they did a fantastic job making the underwater sequences truly feel like they were in a different world. As for the meaningful story, it might not be the deepest plot ever, but it does enough to pull the heartstrings.
If you want something that isn’t a massive franchise blockbuster, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” is just the film to satisfy the whole family. I have already made plans to see it again when it comes out.
“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” is rated PG and hits theaters on June 30, 2023. There are no post-credit scenes.
In the Parks
It might not be Ruby Gillman specifically (at least not yet), but at Universal Studios Orlando construction walls are currently up around the former KidZone. We currently don’t know what will fill that area, but the DreamWorks-themed construction walls could be a good indication of what’s to come.
