Flora (Matilda Lawlor) is a simple ten year old girl who loves comic books. That love stems from the fact that her father, George (Ben Schwartz), creates comic books and superheroes. Flora is trying to find her purpose in the world but has been unsuccessful so far. However, when she meets a squirrel with superpowers, Ulysses (John Kassir), she quickly understands that her purpose is to help Ulysses find HIS way in the world. Flora & Ulysses is the story of Flora, George, Ulysses, and their hysterically blind friend, William’s (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) journey to find meaning.
A story led by a superpowered squirrel and a prepubescent girl with an extensive vocabulary is far-fetched and a bit silly, sure, but it manages to appeal to viewers of all ages and walks of life. Flora & Ulysses finds a balance between supernatural and reality that resonates with its audience and permits them to see both how harsh and how beautiful the world is. While George and Phylis (Alyson Hannigan)--Flora’s mother–are on the verge of divorce, and viewers feel like the world around the titular characters is falling apart, there are these moments of joy that transcend even the darkest scenes. This juxtaposition envelops viewers, and as they are fully engrossed in Flora & Ulysses, they are able to appreciate the lives they lead.
One simply can’t watch Flora & Ulysses without commenting on the brilliant soundtrack. Artists like John Williams, OK Go, M.C. Hammer, and Tom Jones are featured in this film and supply a supreme amount of fun from beginning to end. The deliberate pairing of these songs and their respective scenes pull viewers further into the film and allows them to better appreciate the sentiment being expressed by writers Brad Copeland and Kate DiCamillo and director Lena Khan. In the simplest of terms, the music chosen to accompany this delightful story is fun, engaging, and representative of the film’s expression. What is interesting about the music is that the songs, on paper, appear not to fit with the tone of Flora & Ulysses. The pairing of the music to some of the most pivotal scenes of the film, however, thanks to Jake Monaco, is vibrant, fulfilling, and full of life.
Flora & Ulysses plays out very much like a comic book (as it features a superpower bearing squirrel). It relies heavily on action, animation, and tantamount dialogue that makes viewers think. Nearly every instance of these aspects play out beautifully. The action aspect of Flora & Ulysses is a bit lacking and fails to entertain like other films that fall under the same umbrella. It’s fun and wacky, and it presents young viewers with a reason to stick around, but the action surely took a backseat to nearly everything else. The animation, for the most part, is beautifully done. Ulysses’ success relies entirely on whether or not the animation is believable, and I can say, with complete honesty, that every detail of his being–his fur, teeth, the muscle movement, etc.–is spot on. Other aspects of the animation fall a bit short of exceptional, especially considering what the crew was able to accomplish with the furry protagonist.
Finally, the dialogue. What can viewers really expect in terms of dialogue in a film about a heroic squirrel? Well, if you’re familiar with Disney you know that they put the utmost effort into just about everything they do. Nearly every word rings true to viewers young and old as the wise-beyond-her-years ten-year-old expresses sentiments that some adults only wish they were capable of. The dialogue is representative of Flora & Ulysses as a whole, simple enough to appreciate but deep enough to reach even the most fractured hearts. Flora’s insightfulness is welcoming and thought-provoking. There’s something for everyone here, especially her words of wisdom, so, if you take just one thing away let it be this: “Do not [just] hope,...observe.”
Directed by Lena Khan.
Written by Brad Copeland & Kate DiCamillo.
Starring Matilda Lawler, Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwartz, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Danny Pudi, Darien Martin, Anna Deavere Smith, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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