Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Review

Directed By: Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl
Written By: Pam Brady, Kirk DeMicco, Elliott DiGuiseppi, and Brian C. Brown
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG for some action, rude humor and thematic elements

Lana Condor – Ruby Gillman
Toni Collette – Agatha Gillman
Blue Chapman – Sam Gillman
Colman Domingo – Arthur Gillman
Jane Fonda – Grandmamah
Jaboukie Young-White – Connor
Annie Murphy – Chelsea Van Der Zee
Will Forte – Gordon Lighthouse
Liza Koshy – Margot
Ramona Young – Bliss
Eduardo Franco – Trevin
Sam Richardson – Uncle Brill

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a youth-oriented CG-animated movie and coming-of-age story about a young teenage girl, Ruby Gillman (Condor). Condor plays a shy, introverted girl who lives in a peaceful, oceanside community that is literally named Oceanside. However, her family harbors a fantastic secret. They are all anthropomorphic fish people. However, they live in plain sight among humans, attempting to blend in.

With the high school prom on the horizon, Ruby hopes to go with the boy of her dreams, Connor (Young-White). Unfortunately, the prom is scheduled to be held on a party boat, and Ruby’s mother, real estate warrior Agatha Gillman (Collette), forbids her daughter from ever stepping foot in the ocean. An inadvertent accident one day explains why. Ruby unintentionally jumps into the water to save Connor after unintentionally knocking him over into the briny deep, and that triggers her transformation. Not only is Ruby an anthropomorphic fish person, but she’s also an oceanic Kraken. And she comes from a long line of royal oceanic Krakens who serve as guardian rulers of the ocean. Soon, Ruby travels to her family’s ancient homeland, the kingdom of the Krakens, ruled by her grandmother Grandmamah (Fonda). Agatha is desperate to protect her daughter from following the path of the royals, but Ruby still wants to live her own life and is frustrated with her mom who refuses to tell Ruby all of the secrets about her heritage. There is also a powerful ancient trident that could potentially shift the balance of power in the oceans.

The wiggly, wobbly character designs in Teenage Kraken are somewhat off-putting. Nearly all the characters in the film have rubbery, noodle-like shapes, and they all move like rubbery pool noodles, creating a rather unappealing effect. Mileage on this art style might vary, but the character models look too goofy for their own good.

The script of Ruby Gillman dials it up to 11 with its nonstop rampant wackiness and zaniness. Wacky and zany cartoons can be fun, but the film’s script constantly throws repetitive jokes at the audience and very few of the jokes land. Granted, there is so much zany activity happening throughout the movie, but the experience likely features enough material to keep the attention of young audiences, especially for a 90-minute runtime. The script lays it on very heavily with its humor, and very few of the jokes are funny. Understandably, the focus of this film is to keep young audiences engaged and entertained. All the characters are so hyper, and quick, but none of the kids in the film sound like actual teenagers. As a result, many of the characters are vapidly annoying rather than funny.

The film struggles in the first act because it throws so much at the audience, not to mention running through introducing the Gillman family, her circle of friends, her love interest, and the new popular girl at school, Chelsea Van Der Zee (Murphy). Then it quickly dives into Ruby’s true lineage. The script rushes through multiple significant events and takes a while to set up a proper conflict. At least, Condor does well as a believable, endearing protagonist in Ruby, along with another talented performer, Toni Collette, portraying Ruby’s mother and voicing Agatha. Agatha wants to protect her daughter from the dangers of the world. However, Agatha’s secretive, sheltering, overprotective nature makes it difficult for Ruby as she’s getting older. Those themes are believable and relatable, yet a bit derivative for an animated family flick. When the film slows down with the rampant humor, there is a semblance of a stronger story and character arc for Ruby, her mother, and grandmother.

Besides the relatable protagonist and Ruby’s journey, the strength in Teenage Kraken comes from some surprisingly impressive directorial efforts. Co-directors DeMicco and Pearl put together some dynamic visuals, especially the ones involving Ruby after her giant Kraken transformation. The sequences involving the giant monsters reflect their large scale and size. Jon Gutman stages impressive cinematography and dynamic camera work for the giant monster fights that make the movie look and feel immersive. It would be fascinating to see what filmmakers Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl, and their production team, could do with a bigger budget and a better script.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a cute, inoffensive animated family movie. It’s not a groundbreaking animated masterpiece, and there is some grating comedic material, but it’s a passable animated experience. Parents can take their kids to watch this, and they might find some decent entertainment.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Ruby Gillman is a fairly run-of-the-mill, passable CG-animated family movie. It has a predictable script that goes heavy on jokes, but the film includes some impressive moments of animated direction and cinematography that nearly elevate the material. It's acceptable, kid-friendly, and family-friendly animated fare. The humor is often juvenile, and the designs look too wacky for their own good, but the film has its moments.