For decades, movies have been telling stories of various sea creatures residing in the oceans, ranging from man-eating sharks to friendly whales, beautiful mermaids, and even a fish searching for his lost son. However, the latest animated coming-of-age comedy by DreamWorks, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, tells the story of perhaps the most misunderstood sea creature of them all – the Kraken.
The film opens in the little town of Oceanside, where 15-year-old Ruby Gillman (voiced by Lana Condor) does her best to fit in at school by posing as a human, even though she’s a sea creature. She has a group of friends and is working up the courage to ask her crush, skater-boy Connor (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White), to the prom. The problem is that her mom, Agatha (voiced by Toni Collette), won’t let her attend because the dance will be held on a boat, and the ocean is off-limits to Ruby. Getting wet will turn Ruby from human-size to a giant purple kraken!
Ruby stumbles upon this discovery inadvertently when she dives into the ocean to rescue a drowning Connor after he fell in. Overwhelmed with shock and fear, Ruby tries to hide in the local library but ends up accidentally demolishing it as she grows to a giant size. Fortunately, Agatha spots Ruby hiding among some tall trees and sneaks her home.
Agatha explains to Ruby that she left that life behind when she moved the family to Oceanside, and it’s better if they just try to fit in.
Krakens shrink back to human size if they stay dry and calm, and once Ruby’s back to normal, she visits her uncle. He reveals she’s the descendant of the kraken warrior queen and is destined to inherit the underwater throne from her grandmother (voiced by Jane Fonda).
Feeling like an even bigger outcast at school and upset with her mother for keeping all this from her, Ruby decides to head into the ocean to find her grandmother and learn what it is to be a kraken.
Energetic and colorful, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a predictable, coming-of-age story with a talented voice cast and a troubled script. The plot struggles with multiple ideas that are sure to confuse its targeted audience – children.
Lana Condor does a great job of bringing the quirky, sweet, and intelligent Ruby to life, capturing her frustration with her mom and her awkwardness and lack of confidence when around Connor. Her performance is the highlight of the film. Toni Collette delivers a spot-on performance as Agatha, the over-protective, loving but controlling mom who’s trying to keep her family and daughter from a life she didn’t want, but is actually denying Ruby knowledge of her family’s history and past.
The underwater scenes are some of the film’s best, but still nowhere near as beautiful or as impressive as in films such as The Little Mermaid or Finding Nemo. It’s nothing audiences haven’t seen done much better before.
Another weakness of the film is its struggling tone. The erratic pace of the first 30 minutes should mildly entertain the young kids in the theater, but once Ruby goes on her underwater sea quest, the sluggish pacing is sure to bore them silly. Unfortunately, there’s not much for adults here either, as the film’s aimed solely at young children.
Sadly, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a forgettable animated underwater adventure that sinks rather than swims.
GRADE: C-
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, some action, and rude humor
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Release Date: June 30, 2023
Directed By: Kirk DeMicco
