Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is the latest film from Dreamworks animation, after their sequel to Puss in Boots landed huge praise and box office returns last year. This film, however, is not looking to break through in a similar way. It plays everything mostly safe, opting to put forth an animated offering littered with common tropes and a very predictable story. Despite the lack of much ambition, though, there’s still plenty of fun to be had! In my opinion, there should be enough here for the film to not be completely drowned out by the competition. 

The best part of this film by far has to be the voice acting. Lana Condor stars as the titular Ruby Gillman. Ruby lives a double life as an average human teenager at school and a kraken back home with her family. She’s uncomfortable with the constant balance she forces upon herself until her grandmother and a new student at school enter her life, offering her opportunities underwater she had not thought possible. Lana Condor, as expected, delivers a great lead voice performance that really makes the character feel more believable than she’s written to be. Toni Collette and Jane Fonda are of course great as Ruby’s mother and grandmother respectively, but that was also to be expected. Some other actors like Sam Richardson, Annie Murphy, and Will Forte join in with fun side performances as Ruby’s uncle, a mermaid living a double life like Ruby, and a sea captain trying to catch the kraken he blames for his life’s miseries respectively. In particular, Richardson was a clear highlight. He has been a delight in every project I’ve seen him in, and this is no exception. Every voice actor is clearly enjoying themselves with this film, though, which really helps the audience enjoy themselves too!

Coming off of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the bar for animation in a Dreamworks film is set pretty high. Ruby Gillman is not nearly as flashy as that film and goes for a pretty standard look, instead using some wacky character designs in an attempt to stand out. I wouldn’t say this is entirely successful, but there are some aspects that set it apart. For one, the ways characters move and interact with their environments are consistently impressive and imaginative. The environments themselves are also pretty fun. Ruby Gillman lives in a town directly on the water, allowing the underwater storyline and land storyline to blend easier, but there are definitely fun and imaginative settings to behold, like the prom boat towards the end.

Unfortunately, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is likely to sail under the radar, as the blockbuster competition right now is prevalent and its animated brethren Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Elemental are both dominating the market. That being said, I still really hope this movie can find an audience. No, it doesn’t necessarily strive for something fresh narratively, but the story still imbues all of its common threads with an abundance of heart thanks to the very talented cast and the clear love everyone working on this film had for this story. Also, as a Dreamworks film, should it be successful enough to get a sequel, it’s a very safe bet that said sequel would be something truly special.

7/10