Nimona (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – When a knight in a futuristic medieval world is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona — a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he’s sworn to destroy.

My Take – Without a doubt, the film adaptation of ND Stevenson‘s 2015 sci fi fantasy graphic novel, Nimona, has been the longest anticipated animated feature in recent years.

Originally published as a series of chapters on Tumblr, an adaption by 20th Century Fox‘s animation division, Blue Sky Studios, was announced shortly after publication of its graphic novel form. That is until, Disney bought Fox and shut down Blue Sky Studios and many in development projects along with Nimona, despite being about 75% complete at the time. According to former staffers the film’s LGBTQ+ themes played a major factor in its cancellation.

Thankfully, all those involved didn’t give up on the film, finding a home for it in Annapurna, a studio partner in DNEG Animation and distributor in Netflix. Now that the film is officially out for the whole world to see, I’m happy to say it was well worth the wait, particularly as it marks the ultimate swan song to Blue Sky‘s legacy.

Here, directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, who are working from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, have created a film that is funny, heartbreaking, and masterful at the same time. It is un-pretentious entertainment that knows its audience and is backed by animation that works as a remix of long-standing tropes and styles making for an unconventional experience.

Personally, the film won over me with its spirited story and well thought out characters. I loved how it sneakily introduced so much humor into the story while maintaining a heartfelt plot that asked its characters questions regarding trust, belief and justice.

Yes, one might argue that the story is predictable. But the entire film is so well executed from the characters and the direction to the soundtrack and the animation that the supposed predictability becomes just a blip on this unlikely underdog of a film.

Whether you are familiar with ND Stevenson‘s story or not, this film is a must watch for the summer as far as animated cult classics for years to come.

Set in a medieval-futuristic kingdom which is protected by an institute of knights who carry on the traditions set forth by their legendary heroine Gloreth who a thousand years ago slayed the Great Black Monster and enclosed the kingdom with a high wall for its protection.

The story follows Ballister Blackheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed), who despite his lack of noble heritage has been given the opportunity to be trained to be such a knight under The Director (voiced by Frances Conroy). An opportunity given by the support of the Queen Valerin (voiced by Lorraine Toussaint) and his fellow knight/lover Ambrosius Goldenloin (voiced by Eugene Lee Yang), a descendant of Gloreth. However, his dreams are shattered when Ballister finds himself framed for the Queen’s assassination.

Now a wanted fugitive, also having lost an arm by Ambrosius’ sword, Ballister is determined to find the real villain, but his actions end up attracting the attention of Nimona (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz), a shapeshifter who wishes to be a sidekick to a supervillain and believes Ballister fits the bill. Despite his new sidekick’s havoc wreaking tendencies, Ballister is left with no option but to pair up and unravel revelations about what truly happened.

What could have been a hopelessly formulaic narrative is ultimately saved by a sharp witted script, strong chemistry between the leads and genuine themes of accepting the unfamiliar. The friendship between Ballister and Nimona blossoms because they are both seen differently by the society, looked at as villains and monsters. We hate what we cannot fathom and understand, and even Ballister is guilty of doing this to Nimona when he first learns of her shape-shifting abilities.

Though the film is mostly funny with memorable lines, it dives into dark spaces, as we consider the consequence of hate and where that leads. A scene where a “monster alert” broadcasts across every screen while fully armored knights march through the streets assuring everyone they should just go about their business and remain calm cleverly uses the novel setting to evoke the paranoia of the early 2000s. Thankfully, Nimona is proof that sometimes a little love and kindness can go a long way.

From cereal commercials to VR games, she is constantly confronted with messages about how terrible monsters are and how much the knights who fight them should be idolized. She confronts most of this media with plucky charm as she maniacally wrecks just about everything in her path, but that humor and confidence makes the scenes when the psychological blows truly hit home even more emotionally devastating.

Sure, the film may not push the envelope much further than recent animated forays, but it tries to make the queer content more overt as it tells a tender and bold tale about challenging institutions, being a good ally, and the need to live as your true self. It’s a beautifully animated film that never loses sight of its goals as it seamlessly blends goofy humor and action, an imaginative setting, and powerful emotional moments to produce a memorable and highly relevant family film.

On a purely technical level, the film looks fantastic throughout. The creative team have done a fantastic job adapting the simple but charming art style of Stevenson‘s comic. The design of the world blends high-tech with medieval while mixing in a pop punk soundtrack that propels the on-screen action to a break-neck pace at times.

Voice performance wise, Chloë Grace Moretz does incredibly well in the role as her rapid fire and hard edged delivery is well complimented by the animation team. She gets some solid laughs out of her appetite for destruction, but also gives us a heartbreaking undercurrent to her performance that we see more of as it’s revealed her abrasive edge is a shroud for her inner pain. Riz Ahmed is also quite good and his relationship with Ambrosius equally well played by Eugene Lee Yang is an endearing one that you do get invested in.

In other roles, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, RuPaul Charles, Indya Moore, Julio Torres and Sarah Sherman are excellent. On the whole, ‘Nimona’ is a quirky, visually interesting and heartfelt animated flick that you owe yourselves to see.