Wonder Park ** / *****
Written by: Josh Appelbaum
& André Nemec and Robert Gordon.
Starring: Brianna Denski (June), Jennifer
Garner (Mom), Ken Hudson Campbell (Boomer), Kenan Thompson (Gus), Mila Kunis
(Greta), John Oliver (Steve), Ken Jeong (Cooper), Norbert Leo Butz (Peanut), Matthew
Broderick (Dad), Sofia Mali (Young June), Oev Michael Urbas (Banky), Kate
McGregor-Stewart (Aunt Albertine), Kevin Chamberlin (Uncle Tony), Kath Soucie (Bus
Counselor Shannon), Noen Perez (Chatty Kid), Daran Norris (Principal Peters), Sammy
Voit (Boy), Dylan Boyack (Little Boy #1).
One of
the joys of being a parent, is taking my kids to the movies – and seeing their
reaction to films aimed at them. It can be a thrilling experience to watch even
average kid’s movies with them – but when something truly special comes along –
like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or Moana – come along, and they are
completely wrapped up in it, the results are so pure and so joyful, that it makes
sitting through animated fair like Wonder Park worth it. Because Wonder Park is
not wonderful. It doesn’t inspire that same kind of wonder in them. It is,
basically, an anonymous animated film that as a parent, you will forget shortly
after its over, and the kids won’t remember for too long either. It’s so
average. It’s hard to get too worked about a film like this in any way. It’s
just kind of there.
The film
has no credited director, because the one that was attached was fired because
of some #MeToo allegations, and basically, because films like this almost
direct themselves – there are so many people working on it, and yet it’s all
such anonymous work, it just kind of comes together. It’s clear that the
filmmaker had watched Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Tortoro before making this
film – and set about to make something with a similar message, and storyline,
about the importance of imagination even when kids are dealing with some very
serious stuff – perhaps even more so in times like that. In Wonder Park, the
little girl at the center is named June, and along with her mother, she has
created a theme park called Wonderland (my 7-year-old wanted to know why the
movie was called Wonder Park, and not Wonderland, which allowed me to introduce
her to the magical world of Intellectual Property and Trademarks) – but
basically all in her mind, and throughout their house. When her mother gets
sick, and has to go away for a while to get better, June starts to question the
value of Wonderland – and starts to worry more and more about her dad, who is
perfectly fine, but maybe he won’t be if she doesn’t pay attention to him. She
is supposed to go away to math camp – but gets off the bus, and heads into the
forest to walk back to him. And then, of course, she walks into Wonderland – a
real life place, where all her stuffed animals are real. But a dark cloud has
descended upon the park – and threatens to destroy it. June – and her animal
friends – have to find a way to lift that dark cloud.
There is
nothing about Wonder Park that makes the film stand out. The voice performances
are not bad – not really – but they do lack a certain personality to them. I do
wonder if Jennifer Garner is going to be cast as anything except a “mom” ever
again – heck, even when she makes a violent, vigilante action movie
(Peppermint) it’s under the guise of her being a loving mother – just one that
has been pushed too far. The character design is rather flat and uninspired –
as if they didn’t want to go too cartoony, and ended up at forgettable instead.
Even the rides in Wonderland – which are all supposed to be fictional figments
of a little girl’s imagination aren’t too remarkable either. The best sequence
in the film is near the beginning, when June tries to make one of her rides a
reality in her backyard – and what happens when she does so.
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