Shout! Studios
Coming to Digital This Week
After a long run at various film festivals, Into the Wonderwoods, is headed to streaming and the coming of age story about Angelo (Dario Hardouin Spurio in the original and Kristen McGuire for the dub) is rather wild. After getting “accidentally” left behind at a rest stop, this kid has to find his way to grandmother’s house and I definitely had a certain “Over the River and Through the Woods” song stuck in my head afterwards.
Fortunately, the family is on the last leg of their long road trip, so he can probably find his own way there. However, when they do not notice he’s not in the car, in the real world, to know what the parents are like is very unsettling.
In the same token, had his parents actually realised who they left behind, there would be no movie! Their mistake is the viewer’s “good” fortune. This fairy tale vividly explores a rather bizarre world, somewhat reminiscent of Spirited Away, Fern Gully, and perhaps Into the Woods. He’s quite the imaginative fellow, and I have to wonder just how much of the fantasy is real versus how he’s imagining his adventure in the woods.
The presentation of various animation styles suggests his mind is very chaotic, and much like Invader Zim, that’s when this presentation gets wild. I love how the animation changes when he talks out loud about what he plans to do, and hopes to achieve while navigating the strange forest.
There, he meets Fabrice (Philippe Katerine / Brandon McInnis), a squirrel who wishes he could fly; Franky (Boris Rehlinger / Frank Todaro), a fast-talking frog with a caterpillar friend; an unnamed fluffy cloud with anger management issues and Zaza (Prune Bozo / Rebecca Wang), a young female ogre who rather likes this human. As for the animated hunk of ground named Goouh (Emmanuel Garijo), I suspect he’s this movie’s answer to a certain Guardians of the Galaxy character.
Angelo’s trek through the Wonderwoods eventually leads him to become part of “The Resistance.” This group is trying to protect their world from Ultra (José Garcia / Kevin M Connolly), a rather strange armoured worm who is out to destroy the forest while in search for the Spring of Life. Together, this quest sidelines the human’s desire to find civilization, and I’m honestly not surprised that he’s choosing adventure versus safety. When he aspires to be like Indiana Jones, I’m rooting for him! And when he learns what this fountain can do to save his grandmother, he definitely wants some of this healing elixir, since he fears she may pass away.
When this film’s art design reminds me of Hey, Arnold! I’m totally sold. I love this Canadian made series, and when Angelo and Zaza’s relationship feels very similar, I’m wondering when another film can get made? The way their relationship develops is very cute. When Vincent Paronnaud (Persepolis) is in charge of this adaptation of his own material, he can make sure his pet film is truly faithful to the material. And with the help of Alexis Ducord (Zombillenium) to co-direct, I can see why this movie is a fan favourite in the festival scene.
4 Stars out of 5
Into the Wonderwoods Trailer
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