Squid Flicks: Nimona

Title: Nimona

Directors: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

Original Release: 2023

My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

Ballister Boldheart is about to be knighted, an unusual honor for a commoner.  The ceremony does not exactly go as planned when he appears to assassinate the Queen.  But he's been framed.  Ballister is thrown in prison but a new, mysterious friend named Nimona breaks him out.  Nimona is eager to become Ballister's sidekick in his quest for revenge and redemption.  She is also quite a lot more than she appears.  She's a shapeshifter, one who figures prominently in cultural lore.

Nimona is based on the graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson.  Initially, it was supposed to be a Blue Sky Studios production, set for release in 2020.  But when Disney bought 21st Century Fox, Blue Sky's parent company, the new bosses balked at Nimona because of LGBTQ+ content.  Ballister, you see, is gay.  He has a boyfriend, Ambrosius, and the relationship is completely normalized.  Well, okay, Ambrosius is also one of the Elite Knights and cuts off Ballister's arm after the Queen is killed, ultimately emerging as a sympathetic antagonist - all of that gets a bit complicated.  But no one - not even the story's playground bully character - makes a big deal of the fact that they're both men.  Obviously, that ain't Disney!  The project was repeatedly delayed and ultimately shelved.

Shame on Disney!

Annanpura Pictures came to the rescue.  They bought up the rights.  Netflix signed on as the distributer.  Green light, go.

The movie's a lot of fun.  The animation is impressive - hints of The Secret of Kells in the early going and evidently Easter Egg homages to Blue Sky films (now defunct) throughout.  The world building is thorough, complete with its own internal mythology.  Nimona, the character, is particularly wonderful.  I don't know if there are plans for a sequel but I am in favor.