Wolfwalkers

91 Had high expectations for this one and let me tell you, they were met, and viewing seriously made me consider watching Kells and Song in the Sea again because this studio is a titan in the field of consistency. Such a great story rooted in Irish folktale, it feels so personal to the great country and the story itself represents all the good I see of them. You can tell how much passion was put into this story, when something flows so smooth along a runtime of 100 minutes and feels like it went by in 20, you can't help but just enjoy and appreciate every second of it, every idea bleeding into the next and it all culminating to a great finale just was so satisfying. I loved the connection between Mehb and Robyn, a soulful bond I never get tired of and every scene runs with care and time, their personalities so vivid and bounce off each other perfectly. They do have a sort of stereotypical arc but when there backstories and minds are so unique it can all be ignored when they finally meet again and we see why they are the stars. When this movie starts it gets going right away and never stops, other movies in this studio take some time to explore for a bit but this one does the exploring through the plot. I don't know what piece of worldbuilding I enjoyed more the town or the forest, both giving very different looks and vibes, with the town as this dreary cage that shields all imagination and wonder but it does it so well, you really feel like you are living there with Robyn especially when she has to do all that work, truly immersive. Who am I kidding though that forest is levels above and is very special, I loved walking through every inch of it, I'll get to the visuals in a bit but there was also incredible details through the wolves and all there senses too, it made the forest and all inside it feel alive. Actually, I'll get right to the visuals. I can now say I think this unreal, mosaic animation is tied with a couple for my favorite style of animation. It's difficult to put into words but it's like watching a painting come to life, etching itself new paths and emotions to dive into, becoming more and more alive as the movies progresses. I especially really liked the sketches deep within each character, it is a testament to all the hard work the animators do and a reminder that artificial animation will never prevail. When it comes to the forest I think the animators talent are on full display, it's like closing your eyes as a child and imagining running through the woods right beside all the animals and wonder of the forest, magic coursing through your veins and able to jump higher than the trees, that's how powerful animation this good can be. Now, I made a super generous decision to keep this at a 90+ because although the movie is such a great work of art and there are virtually no misstep, I had one tiny scene that changed how I viewed it unfortunately. Now this could've not been the intent and might just be my eyes but at the end we see both the parents riding off and seemingly together in some way. I really hope it is just a platonic thing to keep the pack together but if not it would just make no sense to me, these characters while in a similar situation have no reason to have any feelings for each other, and no need for a significant other to protect them. You will notice though that I didn't take any points off because I trust that it wasn't meant that way, or should I say I hope. Okay with that out of the way, the narrative was excellent. To see all the characters, besides maybe Mehb come to understand the themes of family and protection was so tightly written and so engaging to watch. I loved seeing Robyn become her father and Mehb become her mother, it tells a familiar story for so many but one we can all benefit from, that no one loves us like our parents. Finally, this score is amazing, I'm not an expert on instruments but all those folktale type notes just cement that transcend into this world and enhance each and every scene of us and these wolves together. I also loved how it picked up the pace during those great action scenes, and mellowed out when they pulled on our heartstrings, obvious but rarely perfected. All around Cartoon Saloon has yet to disappoint me, I can't wait to finish their filmography because I just cannot get enough of that mosaic beauty.