Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)

‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ is DreamWorks on a charming yet also generic setting. The latest film from the company sticks to some familiar, positive messages wrapped in a visually impressive, mildly inventive style.

The movie showcases a fun visual style that, while it won’t challenge animated boundaries the way that the ‘Spider-Verse’ films do, it’s nevertheless an attractive and, at times, electric variant of DreamWorks’ usual style. One or two sequences, such as Ruby’s impassioned plea to attend prom, delivered via presentation video that calls to mind ‘The Mitchells Vs. the Machines’ do break away from the overall look, and are fun to watch. And whenever the action heads under the sea, the vibrant tones of the krakens and some other ocean life, plus Fonda’s character’s royal palace are realized with impact.