REVIEWER'S NOTE:
I had originally intended to skip this film after all the controversy surrounding the director, but turns out he got fired from the production back in January and won't be receiving any of the film's Box Office. So I can watch this guilt free.
I was weirdly excited for Wonder Park when the trailer dropped last year. For as much as I love all things Horror, I have a soft spot for a good family movie and this one looked downright adorable. From the character designs to the cast to the sheer creative energy it looked to exude, I had somewhat high hopes for this film. When the film's brutally negative reviews came in (32% on Rotten Tomatoes), I began to get worried that all my hopes had been for naught. The bad news is that this is nowhere near the film I had been hoping for last year. The good news is that it's not actually that bad either.
I'm not going to argue that Wonder Park is a masterpiece. The biggest problem with the film is its pacing. The film moves far too fast, meaning that genuinely strong emotional beats that should hit a lot harder just don't have the weight that they should. The film definitely has some trouble balancing June's increasingly overbearing and emotionally exhausting home life and its effects on the Wonderland of her creation (Yeah, the park is called Wonderland even though the movie is called Wonder Park...I thought it was weird too) and the colorful characters that inhabit it. These plotlines almost feel like 2 completely different movies.
There's also a minor plot point about June going to Algebra Camp, and while it's short, that whole part of the film is painfully obnoxious. The camp jingle they sing is in no way charming or natural, but the film tries so far to force it down your throat like sickly sweet medicine that it nearly made me want to gag.
That being said, while Wonder Park isn't a great film, I'd argue there's enough here to call it a good one. Surprisingly enough with the backlash it's received, Wonder Park is filled with loads of charming characters, voice acted with care and enthusiasm. Sofia Mali captures the vulnerability and increasing angst of her June wonderfully while still giving her some refreshing spunk and an adorable upbeat tone. I hope her career goes far because she has serious potential as a leading lady. I confess that I haven't seen Ken Hudson Campbell in much, but he brings so much warmth and presence to his role as the chimpanzee Peanut. It was impossible for me not to smile when he finally started rising out of his emotional hole. John Oliver is always hilarious and he's no less so in his role as Steve the Porcupine. I'll admit, I laughed out loud a couple times at his deliveries. Mila Kunis brings a lot of strength and passion to her role as Greta the Warthog. It's a role that easily could have just been a throwaway, but Kunis really sells the character's love for her family and her strict, motherly nature.
The animation is drop dead gorgeous, fitting of a film based so heavily on themes of creativity and imagination. I'm tempted to say it looks borderline Pixar quality at moments and while the film's rough production cycle may have hurt the film's pacing and editing, the crisp and eye-popping visuals on display remain unharmed. Better still are the imaginative ways said animation is used, from the childlike brilliance of the rides of Wonderland to the simultaneously adorable-but-ominous Chimp-An-Zombies around every corner. The film very much feels like the product of a little girl's vibrant and boundless imagination and I mean that in the best way.
The thing that will stick with me most about Wonder Park is its message. I think far too many family films try to cover universal themes at the cost of having a real heart and soul to their message, but Wonder Park thankfully doesn't do that. I really appreciated how the film's thematic undertones of the imaginative droughts experienced by creative minds going through depression was very much focused towards right-brained kids. I think aspiring storytellers, artists and even reviewers need films like this that can speak specifically to them and, even as an adult, I still found its messages to be relatable, touching and, best of all, new. Depression is something that gets in a way of a lot of my creative pursuits as an adult and it is difficult to watch something that gave you so much joy become a chore that's easy to abandon and cast aside. While there are criticisms of the film I can understand, I don't think it's soulless at all as critics claim it to be and I do appreciate how the film reminds us to never forget the spark of inspiration that motivates our creative pursuits in the first place.
While Wonder Park is heavily flawed, it's still nowhere close to a bad film in my eyes, nor is it anywhere near the worst film I've seen this year. Its got lovable characters, a strong voice cast, excellent animation and a genuinely important message that really helps cater to an overlooked target audience. You don't have much to lose by checking it out.
I was weirdly excited for Wonder Park when the trailer dropped last year. For as much as I love all things Horror, I have a soft spot for a good family movie and this one looked downright adorable. From the character designs to the cast to the sheer creative energy it looked to exude, I had somewhat high hopes for this film. When the film's brutally negative reviews came in (32% on Rotten Tomatoes), I began to get worried that all my hopes had been for naught. The bad news is that this is nowhere near the film I had been hoping for last year. The good news is that it's not actually that bad either.
I'm not going to argue that Wonder Park is a masterpiece. The biggest problem with the film is its pacing. The film moves far too fast, meaning that genuinely strong emotional beats that should hit a lot harder just don't have the weight that they should. The film definitely has some trouble balancing June's increasingly overbearing and emotionally exhausting home life and its effects on the Wonderland of her creation (Yeah, the park is called Wonderland even though the movie is called Wonder Park...I thought it was weird too) and the colorful characters that inhabit it. These plotlines almost feel like 2 completely different movies.
There's also a minor plot point about June going to Algebra Camp, and while it's short, that whole part of the film is painfully obnoxious. The camp jingle they sing is in no way charming or natural, but the film tries so far to force it down your throat like sickly sweet medicine that it nearly made me want to gag.
That being said, while Wonder Park isn't a great film, I'd argue there's enough here to call it a good one. Surprisingly enough with the backlash it's received, Wonder Park is filled with loads of charming characters, voice acted with care and enthusiasm. Sofia Mali captures the vulnerability and increasing angst of her June wonderfully while still giving her some refreshing spunk and an adorable upbeat tone. I hope her career goes far because she has serious potential as a leading lady. I confess that I haven't seen Ken Hudson Campbell in much, but he brings so much warmth and presence to his role as the chimpanzee Peanut. It was impossible for me not to smile when he finally started rising out of his emotional hole. John Oliver is always hilarious and he's no less so in his role as Steve the Porcupine. I'll admit, I laughed out loud a couple times at his deliveries. Mila Kunis brings a lot of strength and passion to her role as Greta the Warthog. It's a role that easily could have just been a throwaway, but Kunis really sells the character's love for her family and her strict, motherly nature.
The animation is drop dead gorgeous, fitting of a film based so heavily on themes of creativity and imagination. I'm tempted to say it looks borderline Pixar quality at moments and while the film's rough production cycle may have hurt the film's pacing and editing, the crisp and eye-popping visuals on display remain unharmed. Better still are the imaginative ways said animation is used, from the childlike brilliance of the rides of Wonderland to the simultaneously adorable-but-ominous Chimp-An-Zombies around every corner. The film very much feels like the product of a little girl's vibrant and boundless imagination and I mean that in the best way.
The thing that will stick with me most about Wonder Park is its message. I think far too many family films try to cover universal themes at the cost of having a real heart and soul to their message, but Wonder Park thankfully doesn't do that. I really appreciated how the film's thematic undertones of the imaginative droughts experienced by creative minds going through depression was very much focused towards right-brained kids. I think aspiring storytellers, artists and even reviewers need films like this that can speak specifically to them and, even as an adult, I still found its messages to be relatable, touching and, best of all, new. Depression is something that gets in a way of a lot of my creative pursuits as an adult and it is difficult to watch something that gave you so much joy become a chore that's easy to abandon and cast aside. While there are criticisms of the film I can understand, I don't think it's soulless at all as critics claim it to be and I do appreciate how the film reminds us to never forget the spark of inspiration that motivates our creative pursuits in the first place.
While Wonder Park is heavily flawed, it's still nowhere close to a bad film in my eyes, nor is it anywhere near the worst film I've seen this year. Its got lovable characters, a strong voice cast, excellent animation and a genuinely important message that really helps cater to an overlooked target audience. You don't have much to lose by checking it out.