a review of

What a wild movie. Going in I didn't have that specific of expectations besides that it would probably be solid but not be anywhere close to Puss in Boots the Last Wish. In this respect, my expectations have been shattered, because although its clearly the worse of those two films - it was still *very* good. The animation is more in line with K-Pop Demon Hunters than Spiderverse or Puss in Boots, but I surprisingly don't mean that as an insult. Where KDH frequently felt like an exercise in jangling keys in front of babies, this movie managed to do the style in a way that 95% of the time felt like it gave the whole thing a level of heart and sauce that doesn't really come across the in the advertising. Not to mention all the times and ways it deviated from that style. The blend of different animation styles is the main way in which this was more reminiscent of the Spiderverse films - and against the expectations of a friend of mine - I think they clearly took the right lessons from that film. And it wasn't just the animation that worked well - the whole story being told really moved me. Using the trope of "reconstructing a drunken night out" to tell a story about memories and how they connect us to those we love was so utterly perfect. It's the kind of thing that elevates it from being slop for babies. However on that note - That remaining 5% really frustrated me though. You can tell the creators, or more likely the executives, don't trust the movie. While the needle drops are tasteful and appropriate within the broader context of the movie, those initial couple really grated on me. In a similar vein, I found the demon baby to be so annoying. It's the same voice actor as Jason from the Good Place and he is playing basically the same character. It did not work for me. And at the end - despite the metaphysics of what happened being not only kind of obvious and also unimportant - the film takes the time to explain to the audience like children what happened and why, so that we can spell out in explicit detail the themes of the movie. It was so disappointing. I'd give this movie a 4.25 if I could. My decision to round up is purely from the perspective that I expect this movie to get dogged on more than it deserves - because it is an original IP that doesn't have a mediocre kpop album to bolster its reputation. While they frequently hit lows that would embarrass illumination studios, DreamWorks Animation continues to have the kind of sauce that only the Spiderverse movies have been able to rival. Pixar ain't got shit on them. Edit: Also - its hilarious.