Wolfwalkers (2020) ***1/2

Much like his directorial debut, The Secret Of Kells (2009) (co-directed with Nora Twomey) (my blogpost here), I found Tomm Moore's third and latest film, Wolfwalkers (2020) (this time co-directed by Ross Stewart) to be an incredibly gorgeous visual treat with a fairly basic and predictable story. 

The animation in Moore's films truly is stunning. I love the unique look of Cartoon Saloon's work, a blend of loose line work and woodblock style. I am a sucker for 2D and traditional cell animation, especially since it's sadly the minority of what’s produced these days. I don't know how much Moore and Twomey's studio relies on computers for the finished output of their films but I like their character designs (something I can't say in the slightest for the majority of CG animated movies) and the stories and action harken back to what I consider the golden days of Disney (basically everything pre-90s). 

As I mentioned, I found the story and beats of Wolfwalkers to be pretty predictable with very definable character archetypes (easily identifiable heroes/villains) but I really appreciate the spirit of the piece and still enjoyed it a great deal.