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Nimona Movie Review

Nimona is a 2023 animated fantasy film directed by Nick Bruno and Nick Quane and starring Riz Ahmed and Chloe Grace Moretz. It’s a visually dazzling, but predictable flick.

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“This is the man who cut off your arm.

Arm-chopping is not a love language!“

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A knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. This movie had infamous production. It was to be the last Blue Sky Studios movie, but when Disney bought the studio and shut it down, it ended up in development hell until it resurfaced when it was taken by Netflix. And it was a perfect fit for this streaming service.

Much has been said about the LGBT presentation in this movie and it definitely is different this time around. It’s not tokenism, but genuine representation. Still, even though it features a gay couple on the forefront, their story is secondary to the main friendship story and overall the movie still felt like it was checking boxes for the liberal online crowd.

Based on a graphic novel, the film has that fantastic visual design that is reminiscent of comics. The animation surely is its biggest strength as the watercolor-inspired visuals are very artistic, unique and quite kinetic and flowing with with personality. The character designs are another highlight, especially in the case of the shape-shifting heroine. The action was, thus, very well executed and quite epic, though overwhelming in certain sequences in the first half.

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While I loved the animation, I had a much harder time with its punk rock soundtrack that felt too aggressive and on-the-nose. Often times with excessive action, childish humor and aggressive music the movie reached loud and obnoxious territory that prevented me from enjoying it more. The first half was, thus, not my cup of tea. The second half was much more dramatic, emotional and serious, which is why I preferred it.

But the main issue with this flick is its inescapable sense of familiarity. It is about a misunderstood “monster” after all and this theme we have seen so much recently in animated fare. It was done much more poignantly last year in another Netflix charmer ‘The Sea Beast’. But even worse than the familiar plot is its extremely predictable nature as every single plot beat I could see coming from a mile away, including the twists and turns. This is my personal problem as somebody who has watched a million movies, but for many others this is a non-issue and the flick would be much more enjoyable for them.

If there is one thing that Nimona does superbly besides the animation it is the characterization as it develops all of its personalities surprisingly well. The titular heroine is initially a bit too annoying, but eventually she grew on me and her plight was well explored. That flashback sequence with her girl friend was very touching.

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Ambrosius did not get much to do to here, but the two functioned well as a couple. Ballister himself was quite likable and well contrasted in a more serious personality with the loud and anarchic Nimona. The two shared a wonderful friendship that is the heart of this feature. I loved their dynamic, but the humor often times felt too juvenile. The villain was also typical and uninteresting. The voice acting was phenomenal with Moretz and Ahmed both delivering very lively performances. The world building where the Dark Ages meet the future was intriguing, but hardly explored enough.