A new release from Dreamworks Animation doesn't often get me instantly excited. Unlike, Disney or Pixar, this studio's critical success rate is nowhere near as strong.
But when they have something, it can most definitely compete with the best.
Outside of Captain Underpants, it's been a while since the studio released both a financial and critical successful film that was not a sequel.
The trailer showed a bit of promise and the concept intrigued me enough to check this out.
I was already sucked in by the style of animation used. It seems to combine comic book style effects in its action sequences and character movements. Also, the use of soft focus gave us a production design that makes it standout over most animations.
With that and the introduction of the engaging characters and slick pacing, this is a film that keeps you on your toes.
While I will agree some of the development and twists is nothing new, the execution of familiar tropes still made it refreshing and entertaining. But what held my attention the most was the style and likable characters. There's plenty of people to root for and each have a specific personality that makes for many memorable back-and-forth sequences.
The comedy is fairly broad and mainly aimed for kids. But the homage's to Ocean's 11 and Reservoir Dogs should give something for the adults to engage with.
The voice work is pretty strong across the board. Sam Rockwell gave us a likable anti-hero, Marc Maron's attitude was effective, Richard Ayoade continues to show the range of his talents and there was solid contribution by a nice mix of youth and experience in the form of Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz and Anthony Ramos.
So while it may be light in depth, it remains a fun watch about a character driven story with some stylish imagery. My low expectations and slightly misguided marketing may have helped. But I felt this was a fun ride that had a nice flow to it and plenty of content for people to get invested with.
It definitely doesn't play out like your typical Dreamswork animation and I'm all for another installment.
Rating: 7/10
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