Wolfwalkers (2020)
Directed by Tomm Moore
In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
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6 films that influenced Wolfwalkers
What critics say influenced Wolfwalkers
Aside from the obvious parallels to the epic ecological war of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (there is even a shot of a stag that looks eerily similar to that of the first glimpse of the Spirit of the Forest) and the dreamy trip into a pastoral wonderland of My Neighbor Totoro , Moore and Ross cite The Tale of Princess Kaguya as a source of inspiration — and that latter film’s influence becomes clear in the sketch-like animation style, which feels as if some strange magic has been placed on a storybook that brought it to life.
A similar battle between man and nature has been explored wonderfully in animations such as Princess Mononoke (1997) and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013), and Cartoon Saloon handles weighty themes with just as much intelligence and perhaps even a greater degree of style.
As well as this, there is the inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke (1997), but instead of Wolfwalkers being an Irish version of this, Cartoon Saloon have created something unique.
An instance where Robyn stands fearless with her hair blowing in the wind as she defiantly demands her father refrain from committing an act of cruelty or one riding a massive wolf through the gates of town echoing Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke,” vibrate with unforgettable heroism.
Bill doesn’t seem all that passionate about liquifying the lupine population that have lived in the area for God knows how long — even if they travel in scary, gnashing packs that are closer in spirit to the sacred wildlife of “Princess Mononoke” than the talking creatures found in most Disney cartoons — but any resistance poses a direct risk to his spirited young daughter Robyn (a plucky and expressive Honor Kneafsey), a tow-headed tomboy who so closely resembles Saoirse Ronan that the “Little Women” star might deserve some royalties.
And as much as Moore’s focus is on Ireland’s history, his work also communicates with like-minded movies: Brave, Princess Mononoke, Ferngully, Avatar, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy—stories about environmental destruction, mankind’s dominion over Earth, and the swift, jarring learning experience of becoming the “other” you so wildly and unreasonably fear.
Aside from the obvious parallels to the epic ecological war of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (there is even a shot of a stag that looks eerily similar to that of the first glimpse of the Spirit of the Forest) and the dreamy trip into a pastoral wonderland of My Neighbor Totoro , Moore and Ross cite The Tale of Princess Kaguya as a source of inspiration — and that latter film’s influence becomes clear in the sketch-like animation style, which feels as if some strange magic has been placed on a storybook that brought it to life.
Both agreed the stylistic attempts in drawings and the incorporation of split screens and vertical panels were somewhat experimental and the inspiration came from the 2018 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar-winning work, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse , the 2005 Frank Miller and Quinten Tarantino Sin City , and from the early Expressionist films whereby frames were hand-painted to create coloration.
Both agreed the stylistic attempts in drawings and the incorporation of split screens and vertical panels were somewhat experimental and the inspiration came from the 2018 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar-winning work, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse , the 2005 Frank Miller and Quinten Tarantino Sin City , and from the early Expressionist films whereby frames were hand-painted to create coloration.
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The film follows through on that promise in a way reminiscent of Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon movies and it’s incredibly refreshing to see that dynamic built on as more than a barrier to a singular idea of happiness.
Shades of How to Train Your Dragon come out as we watch this young English girl attempt to tell her father and the town that the wolves aren’t as bad as their fear presumes.
The film follows the Irish folklore paths of Moore’s previous Oscar-nominated features, “Secret of the Kells” and “Song of the Sea,” echoing his keen interest in ancient fables, supernaturalism and shapeshifting duality.
Subsequent films like 2014’s Song of the Sea and 2017’s The Breadwinner have continued to earn acclaim for their cute character designs and seamless blend of history and myth, but Wolfwalkers deserves a new level of praise for the way it takes previous Cartoon Saloon themes (such as the porous relationship between man and nature) to new heights of artistry.
The new feature combines the distinctive, kinetic visual style of the studio’s previous films, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea , with a thrilling story about two young girls becoming friends and learning how to coexist.
The final film in Moore and Stewart’s “Irish folklore trilogy” (following 2009’s The Secret Of Kells and Song Of The Sea in 2014) is a rumbustious, fast-paced and highly commercial affair full of derring do, revelations, narrow escapes and dark life or death confrontations.
Wolfwalkers , an Apple Original Film from Cartoon Saloon, the Kilkenny, Ireland, animation studio that previously produced The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014) completes an Irish folklore animated trilogy spanning slightly more than ten years and is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful films I have had the pleasure of viewing and experiencing.
Cartoon Saloon is one of the last animation studios holding down the fort on 2D animation, with three tremendous films under the belt: The Secret of Kells , Song of the Sea , and The Breadwinner .