Nimona was never destined to reach our screens after Disney scuttled Blue Sky Studios the team behind Ice Age and Spies in Disguise.Thanks to Netflix and Annapurna it is now available on Netflix but is it worth your time or should it have remained on the cutting room floor?
Ballister was born a commoner but thanks to his hard work and determination as a child he was accepted into The Institute. A training college to create the next generation of knights ready to protect the Kingdom from the monsters outside its walls.
Ballister has felt he never fit in with the other knights due to his commoner background and after being wrongfully framed for the death of the queen he must go on the run and try to clear his name all while lurking from the shadows.
It is in these shadows he meets Nimona, a fellow outcast that has never really fit in or better described as, people refusing to accept her. Nimona is a tiny bundle of pure chaos in all the best ways. She has been scorned by those around her and starts out as wanting nothing but revenge while causing the most carnage along the way. She sees an ally in Ballister and pushes to be his sidekick in his upcoming quest to clear his name and get back in the Kingdom’s good graces or just to get back at the Kingdom.
There is one small hiccup in that plan. Nimona isn’t exactly human, even though her form may convince you otherwise. Nimona is able to shapeshift into just about any animal or person at will and surprises everyone, including Ballister, while breaking out of The Institute. Using her powers to overcome any obstacle on the way out in a sequence that punches out the laughs with frantic action on screen as Nimona transforms her way between a host of different animals giggling maniacally as she does so with a confused Ballister screaming the whole time.
Nimona quite rightly is the centrepiece of the entire story for the most part. She is full of life and the driving force behind Ballister getting his name cleared albeit with some rather questionable ideas on just how to do that. Their relationship grows where they learn to accept each other for who they are and are happiest when just going with the flow. There are even a few moments where it looks like things might unravel but friendship wins the day and they carry on through it.
The movie is a fun upbeat jaunt until the last act when things take a turn. An encounter with a child makes Nimona remember how everyone sees her, as a monster. Sending her into a bit of depression while we find out what is the real reason behind the death of the Queen and the roots of who Nimona really is.
The world is beautifully crafted with a somewhat Knights of the round table feel and yet shining armour lives alongside flying cars, swords still clash while someone records the encounter on their smartphones with digital screens everywhere the eye can see. Chloe Grace Moretz brings some of her best energies to the voice of Nimona. She is full of wise-cracking moments while also showing the softer side of her character.
I always like to look at an animated movie to see what it is trying to teach us. They have forever been used as a medium to portray fantastical stories with a more down-to-earth deep meaning behind them. While I could try and delve deeply into certain themes within the story I’m not going to, they are not themes aimed at me and I enjoyed Nimona for the fun ride it was. I think it was said best by my young daughters whom I watched Nimona with. Nimona teaches us to be accepting of people no matter their differences. It is more about who they are, not what label is put on them.
Nimona is out now on Netflix.
