Disney’s Squirrel Superhero Gets Big Laughs



Flora & Ulysses is a hilarious and clever adaptation of famed author Kate DiCamillo’s award-winning children’s book. A cynical, friendless ten-year-old girl awakens a plucky squirrel’s superhero powers after saving him from an accident. The film is loaded with CGI critter gags, but it’s the human characters and subtle humor that steal the show. Flora & Ulysses addresses children with a degree of sophistication rarely seen in the genre. It becomes somewhat labored in the final act, but has already won you over with heartfelt goodness.

Flora Buckman, played brilliantly by Matilda Lawler, is a kid who’s lost hope. Her parent’s have recently separated and everyone is struggling in the aftermath. Flora’s mom, Phyllis (Alyson Hannigan), is a romance novelist with writer’s block. Her dad, George (Ben Schwartz), is a failed comic book artist who could never provide for his family. Flora sells her beloved comic collection. Superheroes are just foolish fantasies. The real world is harsh and unforgiving. She has fully embraced cynicism.

RELATED: Flora & Ulysses Trailer Unleashes the World’s First Superhero Squirrel on Disney+

Flora changes her tune after the neighbor’s robotic vacuum cleaner sucks up a hapless squirrel. In a scene that had me laughing out loud, Flora revives the nut-loving tree rodent. She names him “Ulysses” after the model of the errant contraption. As Phyllis goes to ridiculous lengths for inspiration, Flora realizes that Ulysses can understand her. The squirrel then begins to exhibit amazing abilities. Flora tries to deduce Ulysses’ superhero purpose, but ends up on the radar of a squirrel-hating animal control officer (Danny Pudi).

Every character has a trait that makes them humorous and endearing. Flora’s dark and defeatist outlook lightens as Ulysses brings her family back together. The squirrel doesn’t speak, but…drumroll please…can type poetry and arrange word tiles into succinct sentences. The cast reactions to Ulysses poetic endeavors are hysterical. Flora & Ulysses is much funnier than expected.

The film incorporates the novel’s visual style. Flora sees her story playing out as a comic book. She imagines her father’s superhero creations following along with the adventure. Comic panels are inserted between key scenes to accompany the action. This adds an imaginative element to the flawless squirrel CGI. The production design, editing, and visual effects are well-done here. Director Lena Khan (The Tiger Hunter) shows significant skill in her second feature. She elicits a banner performance from her young lead in a technically complex film.

Flora & Ulysses runs out of creative juice in the end. It becomes protracted to fill a ninety-minute edit. A shorter cut would have tied up the film more effectively, as the narrative wanes in the last ten minutes. I’m also curious how a supporting character will be received. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth co-stars as William Spiver, a boy who is “hysterically blind” from stress. The actor is good and quite funny, but his laughs come at the expense of being blind. It’ll be interesting to see, pun intended, if anyone takes offense from this depiction. Flora & Ulysses is a production of Walt Disney Pictures and Gil Netter. It will be available to stream February 19th exclusively on Disney+.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Movieweb.

You can view the original article HERE.

Faux Fur Stars — Fake It ‘Til You Make It!
Faux Fur Stars — Fake It ‘Til You Make It!
Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry among celebrities helping displaced families
Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry among celebrities helping displaced families
‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore Dead at 89, Half of Hall of Fame Duo Sam and Dave
‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore Dead at 89, Half of Hall of Fame Duo Sam and Dave
Celebrities Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Ricki Lake, Haley Joel Osment and more reportedly lose homes
Celebrities Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Ricki Lake, Haley Joel Osment and more reportedly lose homes
Clumsy Racial Themes Cloud French Noir Thriller
Clumsy Racial Themes Cloud French Noir Thriller
Dream of Death: Robert Eggers on “Nosferatu” | Interviews
Dream of Death: Robert Eggers on “Nosferatu” | Interviews
‘The Rookie’ Begins Season 7 with a Big Achievement
‘The Rookie’ Begins Season 7 with a Big Achievement
‘Ballerina’ Image Unleashes Ana de Armas in ‘John Wick’ Spinoff
‘Ballerina’ Image Unleashes Ana de Armas in ‘John Wick’ Spinoff
Lzzy Hale once broke up with a guy for falling asleep during a Tool gig
Lzzy Hale once broke up with a guy for falling asleep during a Tool gig
Watch the full trailer for new IMAX documentary ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’
Watch the full trailer for new IMAX documentary ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’
Alec Baldwin sues for malicious prosecution following ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Alec Baldwin sues for malicious prosecution following ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Who was killed on The Traitors this week?
Who was killed on The Traitors this week?
Jokic, Westbrook make history together in Nuggets’ win over Nets
Jokic, Westbrook make history together in Nuggets’ win over Nets
Zion misses Pelicans’ win vs. 76ers after suspension for violating team policies
Zion misses Pelicans’ win vs. 76ers after suspension for violating team policies
Notre Dame rallies late to beat Penn State, advance to title game
Notre Dame rallies late to beat Penn State, advance to title game
Vikings-Rams moved to Arizona due to wildfires
Vikings-Rams moved to Arizona due to wildfires
‘NCIS’ Seasons 1-5 Will Stream on Netflix & We Can’t Wait
‘NCIS’ Seasons 1-5 Will Stream on Netflix & We Can’t Wait
Why Emilia Clarke’s ‘Me Before You’ Is so Controversial
Why Emilia Clarke’s ‘Me Before You’ Is so Controversial
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2 Review: The Way We Were
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2 Review: The Way We Were
Virgin River Season 6 Recap in 3 Minutes Or Less
Virgin River Season 6 Recap in 3 Minutes Or Less
Lunar New Year Collections Celebrate The Year of the Snake!
Lunar New Year Collections Celebrate The Year of the Snake!
Gucci Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme
Gucci Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme
Manolo Blahnik Celebrates Sarah Hoover’s New Book!
Manolo Blahnik Celebrates Sarah Hoover’s New Book!
TikTok’s New Ban, Robert Pattinson For Dior!
TikTok’s New Ban, Robert Pattinson For Dior!