by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

The trials and tribulations of High School are daunting to every teenager, but things get even more complicated when your aquatic family is pretending to be human. DreamWorks presents their latest family adventure with Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken! 

The Gillman family is your normal everyday human family. Nothing different about them. Nothing at all…except that they are actually a family of Krakens trying to pass as humans to protect themselves from an ongoing underwater royal feud. When Ruby rushes to save the boy of her dreams from drowning, the truth about her family’s secret past will be revealed. Things get even more complicated when the new girl ends up being a mermaid, adding a new layer to the complex family dynamics. Can this fish-out-of-water find a way to balance the human life that she’s always wanted with the demands of her royal destiny? Will she master her new abilities, or will they cause her to distance herself from those she loves? The battle for Oceanside and Ruby’s future starts here! 

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken stars Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Colman Domingo, Jane Fonda, Sam Richardson, Liza Koshy, Will Forte, Jaboukie Young-White, Blue Chapman, Ramona Young, and Eduardo Franco. Condor does a wonderful job as our Kraken hero, expertly conveying the emotional roller coaster that is being a teenager, compounded by the shock/challenges of being an underwater princess. Although there are many standout performances in this DreamWorks story, my personal favorite characters were Fonda as Grandmamah and Forte as Gordon Lighthouse, who tended to steal their respective scenes. 

From an animation perspective, I was blown away by the imagery and textures throughout the film. The production team went above and beyond for the ocean sequences, as the aquatic inhabitants were expertly animated and stylistic. The movement of the Gillman family was equally as impressive, as their individual motion took on a different flow than the other land-dwelling characters. 

This story was directed by Kirk DeMicco and co-director Faryn Pearl, with story by writers Pam Brady, Brian C. Brown, & Elliott DiGuiseppi. The creative team crafted a story that was enjoyable for kids and adults alike, ensuring that there was something for everyone. The writing was clever and well-balanced, ensuring that this wasn’t just another run-of-the-mill kids movie. I had the pleasure of taking my niece and nephew to the press screening as Junior ComicsOnline Reporters, and they were enthralled by the humor and spectacle. Jay loved the awkwardness of Ruby’s powers being revealed in the Oceanside library, while Teagan enjoyed the third-act battle for Oceanside. These two were the perfect age demographic for the film, and they both gave it their seal of approval. Personally, this was my favorite DreamWorks film since How to Train Your Dragon. If you have kids, or are just a fan of animated adventures in general, I would highly recommend that you add Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken to your viewing list.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken – 4/5 mermaid battles. 

…

We would love it if you would subscribe to the NEW COMICSONLINE YOUTUBE CHANNEL, as well as our NEW COMICSONLINE INSTAGRAM!

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more movie reviews, as well as exclusive interviews, giveaways, and everything geek pop culture!