Animated movies don’t come on a grander scale than the new Portland, Oregon-set film, Wildwood. Filmmaker Travis Knight has crafted a truly epic motion picture that will more than please moviegoers seeking an action/adventure that is larger than life, while also capturing the power of the family bond, and the triumphant nature of the human spirit.
This film’s lead character, Prue McKeel (voice of the wonderful Peyton Elizabeth Lee), is 13-years old, and doesn’t know a key secret that her parents have held from her as we meet her at the start of the picture. Prue’s baby brother, Mac (Arthur Knight), is kidnapped by crows right from a neighborhood park near the beginning of the movie, and this sets the stage for the grand adventure which is about to begin.
Before the movie’s main story begins, Prue runs into the nerdy Curtis (the voice of the talented Jacob Tremblay), at a coffee shop, and all his coffee spills out on the ground by accident. Prue offers to buy him a new one, but she really isn’t too fond of him at the start. Curtis follows Prue and Mac on their journey throughout the film, and is a noteworthy character, full of heart, kindness and integrity.
Alexandra Svik (played by the great Carey Mulligan) is the central antagonist of Wildwood. This character is mourning the loss of her young son. SPOILER ALERT: There’s a very distinct reason that Alexandra has taken part in the efforts to kidnap Mac, and they stem from an event that involves a pact with Prue’s mom and dad, who are played by Maya Erskine and Jake Johnson.
That plot revelation can be a little jarring at first, but it helps strongly develop the storyline and give it meaning as to why having a family unit is so important to the parents.
As the action takes us through the wilderness for the majority of the picture’s early scenes, it continues on to include some forceful intensity as wolves, animals and humans fight against the odds in a battle that spans much of the screen time of the latter half of the picture.
What is wonderful about Wildwood is the way it shows the strength of Prue and her determination to succeed in her quest to get her brother back at any cost. This film is also particularly effective in developing the bond between Prue and Curtis as these two characters learn to respect one another over the course of the film, which leads to Curtis becoming a stronger and braver character as a result.
This film is peppered with strong characterizations with great voice-over talents, Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant, taking on the key supporting roles as Brendan, the Bandit King of Wildwood and Owl Rex. Angela Bassett and Awkwafina are also strong with their distinct vocal talents as The General and Septima – a heroic friendly rat – coming across significantly well on-screen.
Wildwood is at its most expressive when it shows the passion and fierce integrity of Prue, who takes her place alongside great cinematic animated heroines such as Merida from Disney’s Brave. Prue never feels like a fake character. Her mannerisms and expressions are captured to perfection through the stop-motion animation in this film.
Stay put as the end credits roll as we get a small glimpse inside the look at how the film was crafted from a technical standpoint. It’s fascinating to get tidbits regarding how this movie was pieced together. Wildwood looks so perfect from beginning to end!
Wildwood is essentially about the human desire to keep one’s family together in times of despair and turmoil. Its filmmakers are to be commended for the way the movie is delicately told at times, and more aggressively told at other key intervals in the picture.
Each scenario that takes place is more exciting than the previous one, and the ending, in particular, is a crowning moment in a close to perfectly made film. It’s the quest to keep the family together that drives Prue, and she is helped by her friends and fellow side characters in order to achieve the greater good.
That being said, the film may be a little heavy for younger children with themes of death and kidnapping a bit hard for the little ones to fathom. This movie could be more for 10-year-olds (and up) than for younger kids, given the gravity of some of the deeper plot revelations, which are definitely more thought-provoking and accessible for older audiences to chew on than for younger viewers.
Wildwood took over a decade and a half to make it to the big screen. It shows. There is so much attention to detail on display that proves this was a film that Travis Knight put all his heart into making. That beating heart is on-screen all the way through this amazingly emotional and action-packed journey, thanks to the depth the central characters possess.
It is pretty much a sure thing that Wildwood will not be forgotten come Oscar time.
Wildwood is now playing, only in theaters.
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Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.