“The sea will always need a Kraken. And a Kraken will always answer the call.”

Story: Ruby is your typical teenage girl, living in Oceanside, but actually “from Canada”. (WIIIIIIINK) But when junior prom comes around, her parents won’t let her go, because the dance will be held on a boat. In the ocean. And Ruby isn’t allowed to go into the ocean. Naturally, hijinks – and, obviously, a prom nobody will ever forget – ensue!

Genre I’d put it in: Watery Animated Puberty Metaphors
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Echoes of Seeing Red, 80s teen comedies, and other Mythic Teens stories, but wholly original.

Gotta say: Ruby is jewel-colored Lisa Frank underwater teen fantasy, and I enjoyed the heck outta this film. From the star-studded voice cast – Jane Fonda! Toni Collette! Will Forte! Nicole Byer! And Lana “To All The Boys” Condor! – to the glorious Day-Glo underwater imagery, it’s definitely positioning itself as the antidote to the latest Disney and Pixar meh-fests. (Not that Mermaid 2023 or Elemental were terrible. Just underwhelming when it came to box office receipts.) I hope Ruby shakes things up, because this is a film that the whole crew (GET IT BECAUSE SEA PUN) can drink in. And with that, I’ll try to stop the water and sea puns. But no promises.

What makes Ruby feel like an all-ages film is the attention to characters, their individual arcs, and how they interact. Yep, this is a kiddie film that actually takes the time to go beyond the Mom Bad/Villain Sneaky/Hero Heroic stereotypes and allow the main characters to be separate entities. No, there are no existential moments for anyone, and no overlong ponderous deep thoughts – heck, there isn’t even an I Want song. It’s just that the writers and director choose to allow moment when characters can be more than cardboard cutouts. Ruby struggles with wanting to attend a dance that she’s seen as a patriarchal joke, while hoping that her crush Connor will go with her. Ruby’s mom Agatha (voiced by Collette) is loving, caring…and secretly hoping that her daughter’s world won’t implode, like it did when Agatha was a teen. Even characters with less screen time, like Forte’s crusty tour guide Gordon Lighthouse and Sam Richardson’s goofy Uncle Brill – let viewers get a look at their inner lives that focus on yearning and feeling underappreciated.

The Big Bad is exactly who you think it’s gonna be – kids film y’all, it’s not rocket science – but the villain is almost an afterthought here. The focus is on how you need to know yourself, and allow yourself to be exactly who you are. Ruby and her friends thought they’d had that covered, but when a tentacle-shaped wrench gets thrown into the works? They have to figure out their new dynamic. With Ruby being a Mathlete, and a subplot with Ruby figuring out her place in her school’s hierarchy after Her Discovery? I got big Mean Girls vibes, though as with other homages in this film, this reference doesn’t overstay its welcome.

As I mentioned earlier, Ruby looks absolutely amazing, from the gloriously unapologetic bright colors to the fun, funky character designs. (Though come on, Oceanside. The obviously oceanic Gillmans are from Canada? Okey-dokey.) The animation is crystal clear, and harks back to other Dreamworks films, as well as animated series like Stephen Universe and Adventure Time, which should catch the eye of animation fans in your crew. At a solid hour and a half, it’s a lovely way to enjoy a moment of air conditioning and popcorn while the summer humidity stays outside. And if you don’t walk out of the theater wanting an axolotl-puppy like Ruby’s Ness? You’re made of stronger stuff than I.

#Protip: Yes, I thought of Gordon Lightfoot when I heard Forte’s character’s name. Though that singer-songwriter was one of my all-time faves (RIP)? The for-the-film song, “This Moment”, by Mimi Webb? Is a feel-good vibe that’s absolutely perfect for this film. Though the Peacock Kids video does have a few visual spoilers, if you’re determined to walk into the film with an absolutely blank slate.