Animated cinema has been having an excellent few years. Some of the most intelligent, layered, and groundbreaking stories have been given beautiful life by teams of talented animators. Nimona is no exception. It's an anarchic burst of joy packed with imagination and fun. Nimona is a dream come true for fantasy fans.
Nimona comes to Netflix from the directorial duo of Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. Bruno was an animator at the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios, while Quane cut his teeth at Disney. Their directorial debut came in 2019's Spies in Disguise. The film was set to drop into theaters in early 2020, but it has found its home on Netflix after a lengthy production battle.
Nimona takes place in a beautiful retro-futurist kingdom led by a culture of anointed knights. Though cars fly, and every pocket holds a smartphone, the civilization lives behind a massive wall for fear of monsters. One-thousand years earlier, a legendary knight named Gloreth is said to have defended the people from a mighty beast. As the film opens, the kingdom prepares to grant a knighthood to an unusual candidate. Ballister Boldheart, an orphan of no noble bloodline, proves himself worthy of taking up the sword. On the day of his ascension, Ballister's blade seems to strike on its own, killing the queen. In a flash, Ballister loses everything. He's branded a murderer, his arm is sliced off, and the man he loves is forced to hunt him down. Ballister is at the end of his rope until he finds an unlikely savior.
Enter Nimona, a rebellious shapeshifter looking for a supervillain to sidekick for. Nimona finds Ballister at his lowest and lifts him up. She's a firecracker from the moment she appears. Nimona plays like Bugs Bunny by way of Arcane's Jinx. Ballister wants to clear his good name, but Nimona is aiming higher. She seeks to tear down the entire Institution. Nimona is cagey about her backstory, but she's clearly faced a lifetime of fear. Ballister and Nimona must hunt down the people who framed the former knight and discover the conspiracy behind the queen's murder. It's a fast-paced fantasy adventure with an anarchic sense of fun and some impressive depth.
Nimona is a visual treat. With Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse fresh in the cultural memory, standards are high for animated adventure films. Nimona borrows from Eyivind Earle's work with Disney in the 50s and Charley Harper's "minimal realism." Simple shapes create an immediately identifiable juxtaposition between characters and locations. Nimona's shapeshifting is realized through vibrant bursts of color. Her punk rock aesthetic is depicted in spray paint and washed-out visuals. That punk sensibility also emerges in the soundtrack, perfectly fitting the tone. It's all gorgeous, blending together to create something wonderfully unique.
The cast of Nimona has already received praise, and they've earned it. Riz Ahmed is fantastic as Ballister. He delivers a compelling performance with a ton of heart behind it. Chloë Grace Moretz mirrors Ahmed perfectly in the title role. She's pushed through some emotional scenes, and Moretz never falls short. The two leads are immaculate, separately and together. The supporting cast is packed with stellar casting decisions. Eugene Lee Yang of Try Guys fame appears as Ballister's love interest and reluctant adversary, and he's a solid performer. RuPaul and Indiya Moore have bit parts as the realm's news anchors, and they're fun every time they appear. SNL funnyman Beck Bennet appears as an outwardly hostile knight, playing up his hilarious himbo persona to hysterical effect. Nimona delivers a spectacular cast in a brilliant story. One of the things that makes it so special is that the world was almost deprived of it.
Nimona began production at Blue Sky Studios, the production company best known for the Ice Age franchise. Blue Sky was a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox. Disney shut down Blue Sky as part of its $70 million acquisition of Fox. Nimona would have been the studio's final project, but the mouse wasn't interested in bringing this story to life. According to multiple former Blue Sky staffers, Disney, the company that has repeatedly basked in applause for its queer representation, didn't want its name attached to Nimona. This film isn't just punk rock in its aesthetic. By centering a same-sex relationship and addressing themes of acceptance, Nimona was too counterculture for the biggest entertainment company in the world. Thankfully, Annapurna Pictures saved Nimona with its cast, story, and style intact. Nimona would be proud to see Bob Chapek try and fail to bring her down.
Nimona is an unquestionable must-see for viewers of all ages. It's smart, subversive, heartfelt, and above all else, fun. It's an ecstatic punk rock show played over the voices of those who would dare try to shut it down. Nimona is a monument to what artists with a vision can accomplish. It's also a warning as to what the world has to lose by letting the people at the top control art. A lot of children's entertainment comes with a message. It's rare to see a film's production history back that message up. Nimona is the anti-hero the world needs right now.
Nimona
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- Release Date
- June 30, 2023
Nimona is a film adaptation of ND Stevenson's graphic novel of the same name. Chloë Grace Moretz voices the main character Nimona, a shapeshifter who is being hunted by a former knight named Ballister Blackheart (Riz Ahmed). But things become complicated when Blackheart realizes Nimona may actually be able to help him after he's unjustly accused of a crime.