Classic Film Reviews: Wolfwalkers

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

Written by: Will Collins

Starring: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney and Maria Doyle Kennedy

Music by: Bruno Coulais and Kíla

Set in 1650s Ireland, a young girl named Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey) hopes to join her father, Bill (Sean Bean) in his wolf hunting profession, after the latter was assigned by the authoritative Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to remove all the wolves from the forest surrounding Kilkenny. However, when Robyn ends up getting saved from a trap by Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker), another young girl who has the power of “wolfwalking”, turning into a wolf whenever she falls asleep, Robyn has her eyes opened to the true nature of wolves, especially when she ends up becoming one herself after Mebh accidentally bites her…

The grand finale of Cartoon Saloon’s unofficial Irish Folklore Trilogy, that began with The Secret of Kells and continued with Song of the Sea, is a fantastic conclusion to Tomm Moore’s tributes to Irish mythology. After telling stories about the creation of the Book of Kells and selkies, both Moore and Co-director Ross Stewart gives the audience, an amazing twist on the werewolf scenario, basing this story on the legends of the Werewolves of Ossory, with the world of the Wolfwalkers, showing the benefits of transformation into animals.

Both Robyn and Mebh make for fantastic protagonists, with the latter in particular, having a really fun personality and design, and, as expected from Cartoon Saloon, the character designs, background animation and music are beautifully crafted and feel like a fantasy illustration coming to life. While the plot does follow the (very literally in this case), Dances with Wolves plot structure, of a person from one side of a conflict coming to understand and join the other side, the emotional relationships between the characters and absolutely heartwarming ending makes this, along with Studio Ghibli’s Princess Monoke, one of the best versions of this story.

Overall, Wolfwalkers is a fantastic and engaging fantasy story that brings everything that Cartoon Saloon and Tomm Moore have done for independent animation, to full circle here. You’ll laugh, cry and howl in delight.

Rating: 9/10