Recensioni de* critic*

It’s never fair to judge a film for what it’s not, and Nimona has plenty of visual pizzazz and personality to capture youngsters’ attention — which is also where its discursive concerns will resonate most — but it’s hard not be feel frustrated by a film of such clear conviction that falls into the same trap of shallow signposting that has infected mass culture.

Though “Nimona” makes a strong, clear sociopolitical point, it’s not really all that preachy. Bruno and Quane take their cues from the puckish wit and sense of adventure in Stevenson’s work, and they’ve made a fast-paced, action-packed movie, set in a place that combines futuristic technology and a medieval-style social order.

While Disney continues to translate its animated classics into live-action and Pixar puts out subpar fare, Nimona's release on Netflix continues 2023's record as a strong year for animation from lesser-known creators and studios.

What could have been a generic piece of standard Netflix fare in less skillful hands ends up being a nuanced story of belonging that’s slightly less cliche-ridden than you might expect.

A few compelling emotions and themes are suggested but rarely well expressed in “Nimona,” a sometimes cute but mostly hyper and overextended animated sci-fi fantasy... [The film] feels more like a dramatized checklist of stylistic tics and emotional beats from both Pixar and DreamWorks’ animation studios’ greatest hits.

[NImona] is nothing if not professional: smartly designed, elegantly executed, each plot development honed to its finest point. Yet the experience of watching it is largely a hollow one because its thorough competence can’t offset the overwhelming lack of inspiration or personality—especially when compared with its source material.

Nimona significantly revamps Stevenson’s original story and swaps his sparer aesthetic for something more frenetic in style and conventional in its look. But at the film’s heart remains a relationship that’s radical and sad.

[Nimona] is a rush job with little resemblance to the much bleaker web comic. But it’s a vivid creature all its own... At first, the look (particularly the lifeless backgrounds) is so slapdash that you’re tempted to flee. But jokes litter the film like scattered Legos... Attention has been paid; it’s just not equally distributed. The tone is uneasy teetering on anarchic, veering from giddily moronic one-liners to — more shockingly — a climax with deep empathy and visual awe.

The film delivers its anti-prejudice message in clichéd terms, but Nimona is a sparky character brought to life through fine animation.

While the themes – misunderstood monsters, fear of difference and the unknown – are familiar, there’s an underlying message that sets the film apart... [Nimona] is a rambunctious adventure, certainly. But it’s also a film that argues for tolerance and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

A distinctive visual style and an admirable message about tolerance are flimsy compensations in this Netflix cartoon that seems so enamoured with its allegorical power that it neglects dramatic coherence... The action here is horribly generic, Ballister is a non-character, and Nimona is lumbered with a grating Nineties “rock chick” persona who does “horn hands” a lot and whose catchphrase is “metal!” A missed opportunity.

If Nimona occasionally feels a little eager to please early on, it becomes more complex and compelling in the second half as it barrels towards a Princess Mononoke-meets-Pacific Rim finale, boasting genuine narrative twists and ideas about embracing individuality that run more than skin deep.