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Two demons try to trick a young girl into resurrecting them into the land of the living, but what she demands in return has drastic consequences.
Directed by Henry Selick, of Nightmare Before Christmas fame, Wendell and Wild feels like a labour of love from someone. Selick obviously loves stop motion animation as that has made his career. A career that lives in the shadows of Tim Burton. A man who did not direct Nightmare Before Christmas, but everyone and their grandmother thinks did.
It's hard not to notice that this film potentially was made is response to a Tim Burton interview where he was asked why his films rarely have anyone of colour in them. It wasn't until 2016's Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children did he have a lead actor of colour represented...as a villain.
Wendell & Wild has Key and Peele as the titular characters and they infuse the film with most of the comedy. I found myself a little let down by the story itself, it could have ventured deep into the weird but it just scratches the surface. Things feel like they are not really explored enough.
The animation is beautiful though and vibrant with rich colours. I loved seeing portions of the film bathed in a purple hue. Stop motion animation is a unique art that immediately stands out from the cookie cutter computer animated films we are bombarded with. Stop motion shows dedication and craft. I'm not saying that computer animation doesn't, but stop motion feels different and I respect that art form a little more.
39. Wendell & Wild
Two demons try to trick a young girl into resurrecting them into the land of the living, but what she demands in return has drastic consequences.
Directed by Henry Selick, of Nightmare Before Christmas fame, Wendell and Wild feels like a labour of love from someone. Selick obviously loves stop motion animation as that has made his career. A career that lives in the shadows of Tim Burton. A man who did not direct Nightmare Before Christmas, but everyone and their grandmother thinks did.
It's hard not to notice that this film potentially was made is response to a Tim Burton interview where he was asked why his films rarely have anyone of colour in them. It wasn't until 2016's Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children did he have a lead actor of colour represented...as a villain.
Wendell & Wild has Key and Peele as the titular characters and they infuse the film with most of the comedy. I found myself a little let down by the story itself, it could have ventured deep into the weird but it just scratches the surface. Things feel like they are not really explored enough.
The animation is beautiful though and vibrant with rich colours. I loved seeing portions of the film bathed in a purple hue. Stop motion animation is a unique art that immediately stands out from the cookie cutter computer animated films we are bombarded with. Stop motion shows dedication and craft. I'm not saying that computer animation doesn't, but stop motion feels different and I respect that art form a little more.