Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken is Dreamworks' first-ever animated movie featuring a titled female heroine in its 30-year history. It is worth the wait, despite not fully finding its sea legs and reaching its potential.
Shy 16-year-old Ruby is a mathlete whose biggest secret is that she and her family are actually Kraken, the supposedly-monstrous scaled sea creatures who protect the oceans of the world against threats.
Having left ocean life behind, they now live in the bustling and colourful seaside town called Oceanside, where they masquerade as "normal humans". Their lives centre around fitting in and hiding their Kraken features – if anyone suspects anything, they just say they’re "from Canada".
There is no doubt that the creators and animators here have created a charming and colourful world. Oceanside is a feast for the eyes, saturated in colour and packed with nautical detail and clever touches - it merits a second watch to fully appreciate and take in the level of detail.
This is certainly a funny film. The first 15 minutes in particular really pack a comedic punch and set the tone, as gag after gag is delivered at a rapid pace. It's almost hard to keep up, but needless to say, tech-savvy kids and teens will be well able to keep pace.
The story itself is quite straightforward and more twists and turns would have been welcome to set this movie apart, narratively, from what we’ve seen before. One particular "twist" is quite heavily foreshadowed throughout the movie and does not have the impact the filmmakers may have hoped for.
Voicework throughout is very strong, with Lana Condor, best known for hit Netflix film series, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, making Ruby incredibly endearing and someone you root for.
Jane Fonda doubles up as Ruby's Kraken grandmother and semi-narrator of the story, and (as you’d expect) commands the role, while Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy nails her portrayal of mean mermaid, Chelsea.
Toni Collette brings depth to Ruby’s over-protective mother and Colman Domingo, while perhaps somewhat underused here, draws some of the biggest laughs of the film as dad Arthur. Ruby’s trio of friends – gamer Trevin, goth Bliss and theatre kid Margot – are fantastic. It’s hard to imagine that this film could have been cast better.
The soundtrack fits seamlessly with the action, with songs from British pop act Mimi Webb and a cohesive score by Grammy-winning composer Stephanie Economou.
This film is a simple story, well told and well executed but it's a shame that the screenplay had not that extra storytelling spark.
Does it reach the heights that Dreamworks themselves have set with the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon? Certainly not, but its zippy pace, joyful tone and bucketloads of humour will entertain the whole family.
Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken is in cinemas now.
