Nimona Review: A Rebellious, Metal, Animated Futuristic Fantasy [Annecy 2023]
"Nimona" has had a rough road to the screen. Originally announced as a Blue Sky Studio feature in 2015, the film and the studio as a whole were killed by the Disney acquisition of 20th Century Fox, despite the film being near completion, and despite the different thematic and visuals of this story serving as good counterprogramming to the usual Disney fare. Now, almost a decade later, "Nimona" is finally unleashed on the world, thanks to Annapurna, studio DNEG Animation and Netflix, who presented the film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival for its world premiere.
"Nimona" is a rebellious, bold animated movie with a fantastic protagonist, a vibrant retro-futuristic world rich in detail and full of possibilities for more stories, an important queer-coded story of longing and being an outsider, and a cool visual style (though it has some problems). It is a miracle that this film exists, and regardless of audience response, nothing can take that away from it.
"Nimona" takes place in a futuristic medieval world kind of like ours in terms of pop culture — picture "Shrek 2," but with flying vehicles, lots of neon lights, and projected screens — with knights serving as the military police, floating motorcycles in the shape of horses, and televised news. We focus on Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), the first commoner to be knighted and who is accused of a heinous crime. Hoping to clear his name, Ballister reluctantly teams up with a mischievous and rebellious shapeshifting teenager with an attitude teen Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) to find out why he is being framed.
A teenager with attitude
"Nimona" has stylized 3D animation with some 2D effect work in the same way that Blue Sky was experimenting with "The Peanuts Movie" even before "Into the Spider-Verse" came out, with depth of field and lighting being key elements that give the movie a unique look. Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane and their team create a world that looks both simplistic and familiar, yet entirely fresh. That being said, there are times when the character animation looks overly polished and clean, and the marriage of 2D and 3D doesn't always merge seamlessly. Still, the sheer punk rock attitude of the story and visuals more than make up for it.
The story, and particularly Nimona as a character, is where the film shines. Writers Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor adapt ND Stevenson's graphic novel of the same title with a lot of care, crafting a story of longing and of being an outsider that is obviously queer-coded. We have a main character who is in an openly gay relationship and it's never really commented upon. Yes, it clearly informs his character, but it isn't the only thing that defines him.
Nimona in particular is a fantastic character. She is flawed, she is cool, and she is relatable. You hurt when you learn about her backstory, you cheer when she is happy, and you want her to break the world. Indeed, the film is unafraid to go seriously dark, with a couple of references to suicidal thoughts (but still working within a general audience story) and an exploration of doctrine and the oppressiveness of tradition that is easy to get angry at and cheer as Nimona suggests to blow it all up.
A great fantasy adventure
Though not only an action film, "Nimona" boasts some cool action sequences, particularly when using Nimona's shapeshifting ability, which makes for inventive fights that never look the same. This culminates in a massive battle in the third act that should make kaiju fans happy.
The film also features a cool world with just enough history to support the characters and story, without suffocating the story with lots of lore. That being said, there is a lot of attention paid to the history and mythology of this world and the way history is erased. Though there aren't really teases of sequels or spin-offs, it is a world that could easily support all kinds of stories.
"Nimona" lives and dies by its main character, and it greatly succeeds in adding to the canon of great animated protagonists. Despite some rocky visual choices, this is a film worth the wait.
/Film rating: 8 out of 10