This week Disney will debut a new family feature, “Flora and Ulysses” on Disney+ based on the Newbury award winning children’s book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo.
Starring Matilda Lawler, Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwartz, Anna Deavere Smith, Danny Pudi, Benjamin Evans Ainsworth, Janeane Garofolo and Kate McCucci, this movie will delight children with its whimsy and surprise adults with its action-packed stunt segments.
I really want to give props to Matilda Lawler, far too often child actors are unconvincing and just plain bad, but Matilda is in a class of her own. Her performance was fantastic and at times had my jaw on the floor. It can be difficult for well trained, adult actors to act alongside a CGI co-Star, but Matilda makes it look like a breeze.
Speaking of CGI, the squirrel, Ulysses, is worth talking about for a moment. The character design is on point, they actually found a way to make a rodent look cute. The animation is also on point as is the integration of the CGI elements with the real, physical world.
Every superhero movie needs action sequences and despite our hero being a squirrel, “Flora and Ulysses” delivers with some really high budget looking stunt and action sequences. Frankly, these segments were my favorite parts of the movie and I was shocked when there was more than one big moment.
All in all, parents will laugh along with their kids during this delightful flick that will warm even the most cynical of hearts.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Kids Rating: 10/10
Adults Rating: 8/10
