“Wildwood” (2026) adapts the first of three books in the “Wildwood Chronicles,” which Colin Meloy of the indie folk band, the Decembrists, wrote and children’s book artist and Meloy’s wife, Carson Ellis, illustrated. Director Travis Knight is the lead animator, and Chris Butler wrote the screenplay so only ardent fans of the source material will know if the story and original vision are faithful to the original. Rated PG-13 with a lot of important characters dying throughout the story, animated film should not be equated as suitable for kids of all ages. It is a high stakes, high consequences movie that reflects the gritty impact of violence instead of glorifying it, which is a good lesson to learn. Set in Seattle, Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) loses her little brother, Mac (Arthur Knight), to a murder of crows who fly away with him. Apparently, we have learned nothing from “Labyrinth” (1986). With the help of a fellow classmate, Curtis (Jacob Tremblay), she discovers that Seattle borders a magical world. The Impassable Forest is not impassable to her and enters to discover that it has inhabitants who call their region Wildwood, and it is in turmoil with a population of warring human beings and talking animals. Will the search for her brother exacerbate the situation or solve it? At two hours twelve minutes, it is a lot of movie to absorb in a short amount of time that possibly could have spread out into a television series or a franchise, but ninety minutes in, as all the threads converge, it will begin to resonate in a bone deep way with newcomers to this universe.
Normally I prefer girl over boy protagonists, but “Wildwood” may be the exception to the rule. Prue is the audience surrogate who is learning how to believe in magic again, gets exposed to different societies, and is special, but the action kind of stops because she takes a long time to rediscover what she has lost in the transition from childhood to adolescence. She probably plays well with the targeted age group, but she kind of felt like a drag on the momentum of the story. When she meets different factions, it does not feel as if she gets to know them before she is hurling herself to the next obstacle. Considering that she is preoccupied with concern over her baby brother, it makes sense, but her journey does not provide the audience insight into the people and animals that she encounters, and indeed, they are a thread forgotten until the climactic denouement: the current state of Southwood and the Avian Principality. Angela Basett plays the General of the Avian Principality in an all too brief role. The Governor’s toady, Roger (Jemaine Clement), resembles Timothy Spall. Her section simultaneously feels rushed and slow. It feels superficial like a tourist, not someone who is trying to understand the locals’ situation.
In contrast, Curtis has nothing going for him. He is a nerd, is not special, and is unable to fight yet he acclimates to the world in a realistic way and may be more relatable. He transforms throughout the course of the story even though his core personality never changes. He knows who he is and understands the world not because he is of it, but because he approaches everyone authentically, not pretending to be someone that he is not. He is like a native because though he is getting older, he never lost the ability to believe in the fantastic as a child. When he is the focus of the movie, it is at its strongest, particularly his time with Alexandra (Carey Mulligan and the animators doing a mean Tilda Swinton impression with a twist), the former Dowager Governess of South Wood, getting enlisted with her troops (age appropriate “La Bola Negra”) and meeting the Bandit King, Brendan (Mahershala Ali), and his people. In a short amount of time, his relationship with the locals changes, which also alters how the audience sees them. It is a dynamic journey for everyone, and he is the little engine who truly powers the story. If you think that you do not like rats, wait until you see and hear Septima (Awkwafina). Also, the bandits’ music is fire, and if there was more of it, “Wildwood” would be one of the few animated films featuring a musical soundtrack with a distinctive sound that feels very American.
It is more important to be faithful to the spirit of a book, not the specifics of the book, when translating it from the page to the big screen. The McKeel parents (Jake Johnson, who is perfectly cast, and Maya Erskine) provide some helpful backstory, but it felt as if that revelation could have happened another way that did not detract from all the action. The Seattle section, which is not long, felt as if it could have been curtailed more, but it is obvious that it was impossible to kill their darlings, and it is a love letter that feels very germane to the creators though not essential to the story.
The North Wood is when everything comes together for the characters and the audience. It was the first time that it felt as if it was beginning to draw on the indigenous background of the area with a reference to the mystics, whom Iphigenia (Tantoo Cardinal, who is Métis) speaks for. It would be interesting to hear how indigenous film and book critics feel about this franchise because is it drawing from a deeper, local tradition or pure invention? It feels like the latter, which makes sense in terms of creative freedom, but is a shame because people will have stronger memories of a recent work of fiction as opposed to a lengthy oral tradition that could be lost (God forbid). When Cardinal says, “They’re good, honest folk who deserve to live, my dear, and if that means fighting, so be it,” you will get shivers. Her performance makes the stakes feel relatable and elevates a film that often feels like a pastiche of “Chronicles of Narnia,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Robin Hood” and other fantasy movies and books. Also seeing how the Bandit King’s people live makes the conflict seem less theoretical and more visceral. At that point, anyone lagging will be completely on board and locked in for the ending.
“Wildwood” is a lot of movie in a little time relative to how long it could be. It is hand crafted, stop motion, not that kids will appreciate the technical expertise behind it, but it deserves to be noted in a world where the technical expertise requires computers more than artisans. It is obvious that the people behind the production cares, which explains why it is so hard for them to streamline the story to make it more approachable for an audience unfamiliar with this world. After all, it took sixteen years to make! It is also admirable for being one of the few fantasy projects that can imagine a magical world that is more diverse than Seattle without being heavy handed in feeling the need to explain their presence. What it lacks in consistency, it makes up for with a strong, emotionally textured ending which will keep you invested.
