Equal parts futuristic science fiction technology, a reappraisal of old-fashioned knight’s tales, and manic fantasy romp, Netflix’s Nimona pushed all the right buttons for audiences and critics to deem it a success. Though Netflix does not release specific streaming numbers, a downgraded animation department this year means this film is easily the service’s number one new original animated feature. Find out below if Nimona is worth the watch.
Judging by other recent cartoon options, Nimona has very few films from this year that would make for better viewing. Though more critically well-received, Nimona will never be able to top the stranglehold of new Pixar and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and, of course, the gorgeous sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is too great in every respect to beat. That said, animation fanatics who like book adaptations with a slight indie bent will justifiably pick Nimona to stream.
Plot and Crew of Nimona
Nimona stars Riz Ahmed as Ballister, a knight framed for a crime, alongside Chloë Grace Moretz as the title character, a shape-shifting outcast offering her services as a sidekick to get back at Ballister’s false accusers. ND Stevenson created the graphic novel that serves as the film’s source material, adapted for the screen by seven recognizable writers in the animation world, including the film’s directors, Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. Bruno and Quane helmed this movie and Spies in Disguise, the last official release from Blue Sky Studios, before Disney unceremoniously shut down this department in the middle of Nimona‘s production.
Thankfully, Nimona does not have an unfinished look in light of switching studio locations, though we can never be certain of what changes resulted from the shifting production. The story here certainly has some writing and condensing issues in the translation from page to film, as the writers felt the need at some point to explicitly spell out the themes for young audiences, perhaps feeling that the subtext would not be strong enough. However, those themes are so significant, working through a minor analysis of conventional values à la the pseudo-Middle Ages setting and the treatment of perceived outsiders and villains, that only a hardened cynic would say that Nimona was not a worthwhile endeavor as a story to tell.
Nimona
The Verdict on Nimona
Everything about Nimona is praise-worthy, from the decent enough adapting of a great story to the effectively eye-drawing animation, excellent voice acting, humor, and representation. Fans of the graphic novel may have some issues with the changes, which, despite an overload of violence, make the film even more kid-friendly, with fewer nuances and more evident good vs. bad behaviors. Further kid-orienting the story means the age-old children’s movie issue of adult appeal gets a bit lost in some of the zaniness, and the gripping, emotion-rich storytelling made famous by Pixar is hardly even attempted until an exceptionally heartbreaking scene reminiscent of Toy Story 2‘s “When She Loved Me” flashback sequence. Instead, Nimona is merely funny, action-packed, and harmless fun, and its success shows that this deeply resonated with some audiences.
There are just a few qualifications that you need to check off before you can guarantee the viewing pleasure of Nimona; this film is better than Spies in Disguise, worse than the original graphic novel, and inherently geared towards a pre-teen audience, so if that all sounds well and good to you, Nimona will undoubtedly be your best viewing option for tonight.