Leya watched the animated film Nimona on Netflix and finds it much better than anything Pixar has delivered in the last three years.
Pixar has never made a bad movie. Not until today.
But the glorious times seem to be over. Since 2020, when “Onward: No Half Measures” was released in theaters, Pixar hasn’t had a real hit. Filmstarts describes “Onward” as solid.
Just solid! And that for a Pixar film. Solid is nothing when I think of the great Pixar classics: Just the first 10 minutes of “Up” made me cry so much that I had to pause the film because I couldn’t see anything with my teary eyes.
“Elemental” (via Moviepilot), the latest film from Disney Pixar, only made a meager 29.5 million dollars in its first week in the USA while it cost 200 million dollars. A sad milestone marking the worst theater start in the 28-year history of the renowned animation studio.
Elemental is already considered a flop.
Nimona has everything I expect from Pixar
When I see the trailer for Nimona, I know I have to see the film. A shapeshifter who befriends a disgraced knight and becomes his evil henchwoman? I’m in!
I expect a nice animated film that I can casually watch. Instead, I get a fascinating world that mixes medieval and cyberpunk themes.
I did not expect such a dark introduction to the story, and it immediately makes me stare in disbelief at the TV. Without wanting to spoil too much: The introduction has about the same weight as the death of Mufasa in “The Lion King.”
I immediately feel connected to the characters and follow them with all my heart on their journey. Especially the anti-heroine Nimona, who is outcast by society, reminds me of my youth. I remember what it feels like to be excluded with all your being.
The film lingers, and I find more and more reasons why I like Nimona so much.
Nimona could have belonged to Disney
On Rotten Tomatoes, Nimona currently stands at 94% positive user ratings. So I’m not the only one who perceives Nimona as a pretty great film. For Netflix, Nimona is currently a big success.
Nimona has a difficult production history. Originally produced by Blue Sky Studios, a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, the project was delayed several times after Disney’s acquisition due to the pandemic.
Ultimately, Disney halted the production of Nimona. About a year after the closure of Blue Sky Studios, “Nimona” was taken over by Annapurna Pictures. With the success Nimona is currently celebrating in contrast to Elemental, Disney might be regretting that now.
Fairly speaking, it must be said that Nimona wouldn’t have automatically been such a success in theaters. If you already have Netflix, the barrier to casually check out Nimona as a hidden gem is very low.
Nimona encourages feelings
The film deals with themes of same-sex love and gender fluidity.
But the great thing about Nimona is that these themes are not at the center of the story and don’t have to be mentioned explicitly. They are just part of the characters, influencing their emotional world and their lives.
But the film is provocative in many ways, which is why it stays in memory – it stands out.
Not your typical duo:
Nimona and Knight Ballister Boldheart
In the end, Nimona addresses a topic that concerns us all as human beings: acceptance. Not to fear the unfamiliar. To have the courage to stand by yourself.
The film also illustrates how easily mass manipulation via media can happen – and how quickly we are ready to pull out the pitchforks when presented with an image of an enemy. A topic that cannot be addressed too early in the age of AI manipulation.
Nimona challenges the smallest and the largest to think and feel – and that is what I have been missing from Pixar in recent years.
