Wildwood
Wildwood is quite the achievement. The most ambitious stop-motion animated movie ever made, it is an epic fantasy adventure, with a massive cast, magical world and action. The battle sequence alone is a remarkable undertaking. The production itself makes this must-see, preferably on the big screen, where it is easier to appreciate the care put into every frame. It is the icing on this beautiful cake that the story is nearly as good.
Laika has developed a well-earned reputation for the high-quality of their filmography. This is their sixth effort since 2009 and each of their movies are unique, original and, at worst, good. Wildwood (123 minutes, without the end credits) is on a much larger scale than anything they have attempted before (it is half-an-hour longer than their previous longest, the marvelous Kubo and the Two Strings). They tend to do world-building on a smaller, more intimate, level. Say a moderately-sized town. Missing Link is the most sprawling thing they have done up to this point, though even that was a simple story focusing on a few characters. This is huge, with wide-open spaces, multiple subplots and many moving parts.
While the level of craft is very impressive, it is also just a really good movie, transportive and exciting. It would make for an enjoyable story in any format (it is based on the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy). It is fantastical, relatable and absorbing. It may be a little overwhelming, and scary, for the littlest kids, yet it is well worth seeking out for everybody else.
Teenage Prue lives in Portland, Oregon with her parents and toddler brother, Mac. Her father is always warning her not to go anywhere near the “impassable wilderness” lurking beyond their neighborhood. One day, while watching her brother, Prue disobeys her parents and takes Mac outside, where he is carried into the forest by crows. Now, she must journey into the magical lands inside the ivy and bring him home.
Wildwood, like the best fantasy stories, mixes darkness with humor, magic with human emotions and even makes its villain sympathetic. This isn’t pure good versus pure evil; there are layers of both. Prue changes this world, not by being an innocent, but by being honest to herself. Dowager Governess Alexandra terrorizes this land, not for power, but because grief can be blinding. Of course, that does not make the damage she causes any less horrible. The screenplay by Chris Butler does not shy away from the characters’ pain (just like in his screenplay for 2012’s delightful ParaNorman). The heart of this story is love, namely what losing it can do to us.
The wilderness is portrayed as a wonderous place whose flame is flickering. The townspeople, led by their coward of a governor, are scared of Alexandra and her army of coyotes. The bandits bravely fight back, however, even those they seek to protect don’t trust them. Prue stumbles into this drama, along with Curtis, a lonely kid who unwillingly comes with her, and they both see the beauty behind the danger. While Curtis learns to be an adventurer, Prue fights for her brother. Their behavior forces the inhabitants to push back at their selfishness and, maybe, become heroes.
This would have been compelling as a modern computer animated movie. Doing a story with this scope in stop-motion lends it another dimension that adds to the wonder on screen. Wildwood is the most memorable animated movie of 2026. It could have been a bold folly. Instead, it is a lovely adventure.
4 out of 5
Voice Cast:
Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue
Carey Mulligan as Alexandra
Jacob Tremblay as Curtis
Richard E. Grant as Owl Rex
Mahershala Ali as Brendan
Jake Johnson as Dad
Maya Erskine as Mom
Awkwafina as Septima
Directed by Travis Knight
Screenplay by Chris Butler
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