All the Fans of the Nickelodeon movie and TV series. “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius” can be thankful to the box office success for the three-year show. Unlike other Nickelodeon films such as Rugrats in Paris or The Wild Thornberrys Movie. Jimmy Neutron is the beginning of the story and not a sequel. Theatrical. But looking back, until Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius hit theaters. It was nominated for the first Oscar for a best-animated film. It feels more like a TV movie. It’s a strange, carefree voice that prepares Jimmy’s future adventures so well that the show can leave more memories than the film that challenged him. (At least, according to Slack’s informal survey among Polygon employees.)
Netflix’s new animated music feature, Arlo the Alligator Boy, is in the same box.
Director Ryan Krago’s debut is a sweet adventure with an important message for people who are true to themselves. Like the Jimmy Neutron films of 20 years ago. Arlo features a cast of crazy characters and a rich world. That ultimately serves as a long-running pilot episode rather than a theatrical feature. Given how he exhausts most of the film’s concepts without completely covering them developing. This also applies to the upcoming Netflix series, which will continue the adventures of Arlo.)
Arlo, the alligator boy, follows the title-giving hybrid of the young human alligator:
He was raised in a swamp by a woman named Edmée (Annie Potts). But he dreams of a world beyond his baby. Arlo (Michael J. Woodward) soon learns that she is actually from New York. Eddie found her when she was a baby and freaked out like a scaly green Moses in an abandoned floating basket. Arlo goes in search of his father and, along the way, meets the gentle giant Bertie (Mary Lambert). Along with a group of bullies led by Tini Little Tony (Tony Hale). A petite Italian who appears to be part of a rodent. They climb to the east coast and land in New York. Where Arlo finally learns some important things about his past.
Tiny Tony’s friends are a diverse group, each with a distinct personality. In short, Arlo meets the wise pink-haired Furlecia (Jonathan Van Ness). The star-eyed tiger girl Alia (Haley Tju), and the talking fish Marcellus (Brett Gelman). The film primarily serves to get the cast, introduce them, and provide clues to their dynamics. But apart from Bertie, who met Arlo for the first time and got her parallel character. Nobody got a chance to take it on. The limelight dominates. After all, here’s the story of Arlo’s origins. However, this hint of a potential spooky cast is just one reason. Arlo the Alligator feels more like a TV movie than a movie. The supporting characters slide a little late in the story. To make a significant impact but interesting enough to remember afterward.
There is a picture book tenderness in a film set:
From the golden bay where Arlo grows. To the glowing algae on the Carolina coast. The film colors the world with the same warm sheen that Arlo felt when she emerged from the swamp for the first time and faced seemingly shallow things like a train ride and an ice cream that seemed overwhelming to her. Although the character designs are crazy and fantastic, the setting is rooted in reality. Places in the real world feel uplifted and vibrant and smell like the characters themselves.
Glowing algae surround Bertie, Furlesia, Alia, Arlo, Tony, and Marcel:
The music is excellent, especially the contagious pop duo Bertie and Arlo singing as they dance on the glowing, glowing algae. Arlo is a character who often comes out in songs and drags everyone around in the number, and then uses the songs to advance the plot. The musical interlude doesn’t slow the story down, but aside from this Arlo / Bertie duo. Most aren’t weighty enough not to get caught up in the minds of the audience. (This could be a privilege.)
In the end, everything about the crocodile boy Arlo felt like preparation for something yet to come. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it does change the audience’s expectations of the film.
The songs are fun, and the family message and celebration of difference are sweet. But the band’s entire trip to New York was just a lengthy exhibition. Designed to introduce the main actors and their next venue. The actual exciting incident of the Arlo saga isn’t that Arlo left the swamp, but the end of the film. While Arlo finds her father, the puzzle remains to be solved. (Who is her mother, and why did she never think of the question ?!) It seems that the creators behind Arlo didn’t show their whole hands. They were holding onto the card tightly. This game of chance may leave some viewers uninterested, even though it refers to the rich potential of a world of fun created by Crago.