When her little brother is kidnapped by a murder of crows, Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) venture into the woods on the outskirts of their home. Growing up hearing stories of talking animals, magical realms and practices of witchcraft from her father (Jake Johnson), Prue never really believed that any of it could be real. That is until she experiences it for herself.
After hearing everyone and their mother sing the praises of Wildwood, I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about. In a world where there is little originality and AI is becoming more prominent, this was truly a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I had ever seen anything quite like it. It truly was a triumph and I cannot get over how phenomenal it was.
Every single piece of this film, whether it was the characters, or set pieces, or the various locations, were made by hand. To think that it was all perfectly crafted down to the very last detail is something I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around. Although animated, it felt incredibly lifelike. The people had every distinguishable feature possible from the little wrinkles on their faces to the odd tendrils of their hair. The enchanted woods and its surroundings were filled with vibrant colors and specific movements that added to the overall experience.
The cast who lent their voice talents to the characters were expertly chosen. Lee was an excellent choice for Prue. She was headstrong and determined to make things right and I really rooted for her. Tremblay had the shy underdog role down to a T and together they made a good team. Carey Mulligan starred as Dowager Governess Alexandra who was so complex and full of many layers. Richard E. Grant portrayed a wise owl named Rex while Awkwafina voiced Septima, a helpful rat. Meanwhile, Angela Bassett was a magestic bird known as The General and Mahershala Ali starred as Brendan leader of the bandits.
While the story wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, it didn’t even matter because there was still so much to take away from it. It may seem kid friendly on the surface, but it’s much darker than I was expecting it to be. That being said, kids and adults alike will appreciate the central messages depicted throughout such as never judge a book by it’s cover, look after your environment the way you would want it to look after you in return and always fight for your family and loved ones.
Wildwood is one of those films that will become a classic. The sheer amount of love and dedication that was put into delivering such an outstanding piece of art is so appreciated in today’s day and age. We’re living in a time where so many things are changing and not necessarily for the good. When things feel tough, we need to remember that even if we feel like we may have outgrown it, magic is always there if we’re open to it.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
