Film Journal 2023: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Film Journal 2023: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
Directed by Kirk DeMicco

For me, Ruby Gillman represents a tale of two films. Or better yet, a story of competing expectations.

Not entirely on it’s own, albeit, rather in relationship to another animated release this weekend, Nimona. Although from a small selection or voices, engagement with film Twitter had sold Nimona as better than expected, a chance to celebrate animation coming from somewhere other than Disney. And perhaps even edging out Disney on the basis that it is a welcome original in a company seemingly scared to see past sequels, remakes and IPs.

There is a slight irony then to Dreamworks quietly doing its thing in the face of contrarians. And that irony is pointed in my direction as well. For some reason I continue to keep discounting Dreamworks as a lesser company, even though I consider one of it’s most popular franchises to be one the better and most consistent entries in a crowded field, often proving to be far more intelligent than I give it credit for (Despicable Me). Or the fact that I consider How To Train Your Dragon to be one of the greatest trilogies of all time. One needs only look to the recent success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Bad Guys to know that the company behind Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda hasn’t lost its step. And that’s not even to get into my appreciation of the Secret Life of Pets, Abominable, The Croods, and yes, even Trolls.
So here I was, coming in to Ruby Gillman with the complete opposite of expectations as Nimona, being severely underwhelmed by the trailer and underestimating the Dreamworks brand.

And here I am on the other side of both viewings being underwhelmed by Nimona and pleasantly surprised by Ruby Gillman. Not only that, but having a complete flip in terms of experiences.

In Nimona I felt the first 3 quarters to be messy and flat, featuring a poor script and lackluster voicework. But the strength of its third act elevates it to being something worth viewing, accentuating the story’s potential in terms of emotional resonance. In Runt Gillman, the third act struggles a bit, but the first three quarters features some sharp writing, good storytelling, and some memorable performances. All of which prove more than enough to carry it through the third act problems.

To be clear, part of the reason I think the third act struggles is because it is attempting to balance big, dramatic stakes with its desire to write this story for a younger audience. A relevant point to keep in mind in terms of measuring its success. It very well might achieve that directive, which brings up another point of comparison in my mind. The news circuit has made much of Elementals lackluster performance at the box office, and I would argue that the lack of success is due to the film being targeted to an older audience. In that case in have made much of my plea for families with older teens to go see it, as I think where it might miss with a younger crowd it will resonate with those on the older side, coming of age. Occupying screens alongside Elementals second week, Ruby Gillman tells a story that should resonate with younger viewers.

As mentioned, I really enjoyed the characters here, blending myth with a practical, down to earth story about navigating those early years in high school. It hits on important themes regarding perception of oneself and perception of others, family and generational dynamics, and finding your way through those generational shifts, each asking their own questions while sharing space in the gaps. And I really enjoyed the world building that surrounds these characters too. It does a nice job balancing the underwater world with life on the land, utilizing some imagination as it brings these worlds together, in conflict and in harmony.

All of this to say, if anyone is concerned about a lack of original animated fare, all three films mentioned above are good options (Elemental being a great one) that deserve your support, especially if we want to see more down the road. I’m pulling for Ruby Gillmans success.