Flora & Ulysses 2021
This movie about a superhero squirrel, now playing on Disney Plus, looked interesting in the previews, but some people said it looked too juvenile. I feared it could be another G-force (also by Disney, with a superhero hamster), so I was wary. It isn’t as big a movie as G-force with decidedly non A-list stars, but as a smaller movie, Flora & Ulysses works better, offering some pleasant surprises. The CGI squirrel looks pretty realistic and is expressive, not just cute. The main star is the squirrel’s human friend, Flora, who does pretty well and nails a few of her line readings despite her young age. There were also a few laugh out loud moments (for me anyway). While generally silly and kind of low budget, the movie still has a good offbeat sense of humor, not just the expected slapstick. The human story is decent, but not the movie’s strong suit. It reminds me a little of the Paddington movies, which is pretty high praise. Even with that, keep your expectations low and maybe the movie will work some magic on you.
Update in January 2022: 2021 was not a stellar year for movies, so this movie was going to finish pretty high on the list. I decided to watch again to see if I had overrated it. Maybe a little. It does have a nice spark of originality, especially early on as characters are being established. The kid does a good job being cute and hits her funny lines as well as some more serious stuff. The squirrel animation is surprisingly good. However, some of the side characters are weaker and a CGI cat looks terrible. The family stuff is laid on a little thick and too much of the comedy reverts to silly instead of clever. Still, it is enjoyable and easy to watch. I will leave it at a B+, but at the lower end of that.
Written: 19 Feb 2021