I would probably never hold something with the handle sticking out away from me again
★★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★
Nimona (2023)
Runtime: 101 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG for violence and action, thematic elements, some language and rude humor.
We've all heard of the "Once Upon a Time" story countless times, and the opening of "Nimona" spells fear. Would a generic storyline follow up? Would the construction of characters and scenes be depressingly derivative and half-hearted? It's all dispelled within minutes in "Nimona", a terrifically entertaining film with cute details, smart gags, placing objects and people in just the right and funny places, and dazzling action. While I'm not sure whether the tonal shift completely works in the slightly cluttered mid-section as pieces start to unfold in uncertain directions, directors Nick Bruno and Troy Crane find their emotional center and transcend the premise, leading to an inspiring and completely heartbreaking finale that left lumps in my throat countless times. You'd have to be a cold-hearted cynic to not have been moved by this.
A contradictory but interesting blend of past and present grounds the setting, a medieval-futuristic kingdom. You heard me right; knights and swords exist alongside flying cars, phones, and holograms. That's because citizens need to be protected by the Institute for Elite Knights, established 1000 years ago by the legendary heroine Gloreth (Karen Ryan), who defeated the "Great Black Monster" and constructed a high wall to protect the kingdom. Back to the present time, as Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) and his confidant (and lover) Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) are about to be knighted, a mysterious laser is shot from Ballister's sword, killing the queen.
With everyone believing him as the murderer, Ballister escapes from the city and hides in secrecy while attempting to craft a prosthetic replacement arm. He's interrupted by a teenage girl Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), who reveals her shapeshifting powers and sees a villainous spirit in Ballister, urging him to exact revenge on the culprit. Nimona strikes a deal with Ballister to be his sidekick, and they glide across town in extremely amusing ways to kidnap Diego (Julio Torres), the squire who handed Ballister the weapon. Things are not what they seem, as the true murderer is revealed, but the murderer uses Nimona's powers to redirect the suspicion back to Ballister and her, causing public confusion and outcry.
Writers Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor may set up things in an unavoidably familiar way, but more than offsets it with a plot that's structured in a way that feels continuous, engaging, and never episodic, accompanied by the two central characters that have distinct and wildly contrary personalities. Moretz looks like she's having an absolute blast voicing Nimona; you can feel the energy anytime her character speaks or goofs around, while Ahmed is an ideal counterpart to her infectious vigour, delivering the replies precisely in mood and character. Besides, the action sequences, though animated in rather simple art style, are often vivid and the gags are so precisely timed, it's clever that they inject a pun involving hands or letting Ballister slide face down across grass terrain, while the head of a stone statue lands perfectly upright in the background.
There are also other underlying themes like the authority of power, overthrowing the government, and other political subjects that younger audiences may not catch. However, this kind of allegory, when expressed adequately, of course, is appreciated. More mature themes can be told through animation, like The Director (Frances Conroy) manipulating citizens and making immoral choices that she knows are unorthodox. A few audiences and critics have found the villain quite generic, but I think the work that has gone into developing the character's behaviour and motive is pretty well done.
Of course, it all leads to inevitable narrative twists and turns. Situations in life get murkier when you can't decide who to trust, and what was once a lively and vibrant mood turns unsettling and tense, as the relationship between Nimona and Ballister becomes more complex. It leads us to the incredibly moving emotional core, accompanied by a melancholy score, to tell us the story of a broken person. The society in "Nimona" doesn't accept her and sees her as a monster. It convinces her friend Gloreth to go against her. Some of us resonate with the pain Nimona is suffering as an outcast. Are people hailed a hero by stabbing a sword through a "monster's" heart? Sometimes, it feels like everyone is looking down on you and diminishing you into one thing, but there's no one to help or accompany you. Maybe what Nimona and some of us need is a Ballister, one who recognises the exponentially increasing trauma, and heals it through compassion and understanding. Perhaps that's all we need: the ray of light we look up to and hope for a brighter path ahead.
A contradictory but interesting blend of past and present grounds the setting, a medieval-futuristic kingdom. You heard me right; knights and swords exist alongside flying cars, phones, and holograms. That's because citizens need to be protected by the Institute for Elite Knights, established 1000 years ago by the legendary heroine Gloreth (Karen Ryan), who defeated the "Great Black Monster" and constructed a high wall to protect the kingdom. Back to the present time, as Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) and his confidant (and lover) Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) are about to be knighted, a mysterious laser is shot from Ballister's sword, killing the queen.
With everyone believing him as the murderer, Ballister escapes from the city and hides in secrecy while attempting to craft a prosthetic replacement arm. He's interrupted by a teenage girl Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), who reveals her shapeshifting powers and sees a villainous spirit in Ballister, urging him to exact revenge on the culprit. Nimona strikes a deal with Ballister to be his sidekick, and they glide across town in extremely amusing ways to kidnap Diego (Julio Torres), the squire who handed Ballister the weapon. Things are not what they seem, as the true murderer is revealed, but the murderer uses Nimona's powers to redirect the suspicion back to Ballister and her, causing public confusion and outcry.
Writers Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor may set up things in an unavoidably familiar way, but more than offsets it with a plot that's structured in a way that feels continuous, engaging, and never episodic, accompanied by the two central characters that have distinct and wildly contrary personalities. Moretz looks like she's having an absolute blast voicing Nimona; you can feel the energy anytime her character speaks or goofs around, while Ahmed is an ideal counterpart to her infectious vigour, delivering the replies precisely in mood and character. Besides, the action sequences, though animated in rather simple art style, are often vivid and the gags are so precisely timed, it's clever that they inject a pun involving hands or letting Ballister slide face down across grass terrain, while the head of a stone statue lands perfectly upright in the background.
There are also other underlying themes like the authority of power, overthrowing the government, and other political subjects that younger audiences may not catch. However, this kind of allegory, when expressed adequately, of course, is appreciated. More mature themes can be told through animation, like The Director (Frances Conroy) manipulating citizens and making immoral choices that she knows are unorthodox. A few audiences and critics have found the villain quite generic, but I think the work that has gone into developing the character's behaviour and motive is pretty well done.
Of course, it all leads to inevitable narrative twists and turns. Situations in life get murkier when you can't decide who to trust, and what was once a lively and vibrant mood turns unsettling and tense, as the relationship between Nimona and Ballister becomes more complex. It leads us to the incredibly moving emotional core, accompanied by a melancholy score, to tell us the story of a broken person. The society in "Nimona" doesn't accept her and sees her as a monster. It convinces her friend Gloreth to go against her. Some of us resonate with the pain Nimona is suffering as an outcast. Are people hailed a hero by stabbing a sword through a "monster's" heart? Sometimes, it feels like everyone is looking down on you and diminishing you into one thing, but there's no one to help or accompany you. Maybe what Nimona and some of us need is a Ballister, one who recognises the exponentially increasing trauma, and heals it through compassion and understanding. Perhaps that's all we need: the ray of light we look up to and hope for a brighter path ahead.
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