Irish studio Cartoon Saloon's latest mystical venture is a visual feast, treating audiences to a gloriously detailed world and two lovable leading characters.
Wolfwalkers sees writer-director Tomm Moore round off his Irish Folklore Trilogy with the studio, following his previous features, The Secret of Kells (2009) and the Oscar-nominated Song of The Sea (2014). In this instalment, alongside co-director Ross Stewart and writer Will Collins, Moore transports audiences into the beautifully crafted medieval city of Kilkenny in1600s Ireland. Wolfwalkers' protagonist, young English girl Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), is immediately head-strong and sure of herself, determined to maintain the adventurous lifestyle she had back in England. To her frustration however, life in Ireland under Cromwellian rule is far from care-free, and her options are limited besides staying locked inside the walled city and spending her days as a scullery maid. Illustrious Yorkshireman Sean Bean takes on the role of Robyn's father, Bill Goodfellowe, a decorated hunter working at special service to the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney). Robyn's rebellious streak leads her to following her father on his hunts, determined to help slay the wolves outside the town of which Goodfellowe has been tasked.
It is here that Wolfwalkers' magic sparks, a fantastical forest on the city's doorstep, and home to the mythical creatures of which the film gets its title. The energetic and feisty Mebh (Eva Whittaker) and her mother live in the depths of the forest, the two of them blessed with a power that shifts their souls into wolves when they sleep. They are protective of their pack and den, and are at odds with Kilkenny's woodcutters, who would destroy their home for farmland under orders of the Lord Protector. In many ways, Mebh is an embodiment of the freedom Robyn desires, and it is not long before the inquisitive girl looses he desire to harm the wolves and embrace the wildling's lifestyle. For Mebh, Robyn is companionship and hope when she needs it most, feeling lost and pressured while her mother's wolf soul is held captive within the city.
The bond between the two girls is heart of Wolfwalkers, and it is a friendship that is wonderfully realised. The attention to delicate details- such as the care Robyn takes in brushing Mebh's hair- feel so natural, and their witty back-and-froth dialogue is vitalised by the emotive performances both voice actresses bring to their roles. The two young girls are indeed Wolfwalkers' strongest characters, and while Robyn and Mabh's respective relationships with their parents are also affectionately conveyed, it is the quiet scenes between the two girls which best capture the film's magic.
The weakest element of Wolfwalkers is that of its antagonist, the Lord Protector; who is never officially recognised within the narrative as Oliver Cromwell, though the inference is clear. While the historical lore of the film is well-established, with the frustrations of the native Irish often made apparent; the Lord Protector's motivations from Wolfwalkers' pagan perspective is not so strongly realised. The Lord Protector's mutterings that he is doing "God's will" by ridding the city and forest of these mythical beings is about as much as we come to understand of him. Had this religious fanaticism been explored in a deeper manner, somewhat similar to the likes of Disney's The Hunchback of Norte Dame (1996, Trousdale & Wise) antagonist, Judge Frollo, the Lord Protector's presence may have left more of a lasting impact.
However such small criticisms are- for the most part- overshadowed by the visual spectacle that is Wolfwalkers. Cartoon Saloon's approach to animation has always felt like a child's storybook come to life, though Wolfwalkers takes this to a stunning new level. As if like a pop-up book, Wolfwalkers takes a captivating approach to perspective, making what could otherwise have been the simplest of settings into a visual feast of detail. Straight roads and empty staircases become mazes of intricate design, the distant city of Kilkenny often drawn like a tapestry hanging behind the characters. Every frame is so busy with detail, full of life in a way that perfectly mirrors the powerful energy of the forest itself. The rough sketch lines visible beneath the likes of Mabh and the wolves skilfully reflect the narrative's themes of freedom and expression. They are not constricted nor still, but instead imperfect yet most natural.
Wolfwalkers is an escapist treat with a tender spirit, and it shall be a shocking injustice if it is not at the least nominated in every major animated feature awards category. Its dedication to the craft of visual storytelling is well worthy of praise, and the emotional connection between its two young leads is both powerful and joyous to watch. Folk group Kíla and Bruno Coulais's score is similarly magical; with Aurora's haunting vocals on re-release, "Running With the Wolves", further solidifying her as a powerful collaborator of animation, following Frozen 2's Oscar-nominated "Into the Unknown".
It is at times repetitive, with its second act sometimes stunted in its progression of character's arcs and relationships with one another; though in spite of this, Wolfwalkers is a visual triumph.
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