When animated films focus on being brighter and more colorful than the competition, filmmakers run the risk of the characters in them getting dimmer (see recent films such as “Smurfs” and “Trolls: World Tour”). With the exception of Pixar, it seems the animated genre has been dampened by appalling pastels, which is certainly the case with “The Willoughbys.” This Netflix film works overtime trying to be flashy without bothering to create characters worth rooting for, and its long run time won’t do bored parents any favors.
It’s unclear how kids will react to “The Willoughbys.” As the opening narration begins, a talking cat (Ricky Gervais) warns us, resembling Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”: “If you’re interested in stories with happy endings, you’re better off reading some other book. In this book, there are no happy endings.” You can probably add, ” If you’re interested in fun for the whole family, you’re better off reading/watching something else” to the introduction, also. Recommended diversions include: watching Netflix’s superior Snicket series with the kids, reading Lois Lowry’s ‘Willoughbys’ source material, or even going outside for a walk. Anything beats this cluttered, meandering mess.
“The Willoughbys” tells the story of siblings that band together to get rid of their horrible, selfish parents by sending them on a perilous vacation that will likely end in their demise. The goal is to allow the siblings to parent themselves, as they tend to do anyway already. And yes, this does sound like a premise that could send the children’s film down a dark path.
However, directed by Kris Pearn, who previously helmed the overstuffed “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2,” everyone does what they can to spark a light tone. There’s plenty of slapstick jokes to go along with silly one-liners, and positive messages are espoused to a quartet of siblings. With Twizzlers for hair and curiosity on the mind, the Willoughby kids come from a long line of heroic ancestors, a tradition that ended with dad (Martin Short). He’s a meanie who refuses to feed his kids, sentencing them to time out in a coal bin whenever they so much as speak. Why the long face? That’s just how the animators have drawn these characters: thin jawlines, sharp noses, and giant ears are proud Willoughby genetics.
Although Pearn’s visual style isn’t attractive, there is a comfy quality to the youngsters. Tim (Will Forte), the eldest sibling, will win over audience members willing to give him a chance. So long as he is planning to get rid of mom and dad, we have his back. Jane, the artistic sister (Alessia Cara), and twins Barnaby and Barnaby (Sean Cullen), also join in on Tim’s master plan. All they have to do is grab a travelogue, draw “no kids allowed” on the cover, and circle locations of perilous danger before handing it over to their mother and father. (Killing your parents has never been so easy!)
It’s never been so garish, either. Pearn feels inclined to sprinkle Skittle colors atop his Gothic world, which is an odd mix, to say the least. The rainbows made of Pop Rocks, grass made of french fries and mustaches made of cotton candy are hardly appetizing for the eyes—a trip to Commander Melanoff’s (Terry Crews) candy factory feels especially inorganic juxtaposed with the dark subject matter. The film also introduces a Mary Poppins-like nanny (Maya Rudolph), who needed more than a spoonful of sugar to make her jokes go down. With the help of the nanny, however, Tim learns to accept his new family, choosing her and Melanoff over his cruel, inherited parents.
Yet “The Willoughbys” loses the emotional stakes of the novel, which made us care for all the kids, not just Tim. There’s an interesting angle about teenage boys wanting to become men of the house, tied to Tim’s constant need to be in charge, but Pearn, like so many directors of animated films these days, drowns everything out with sentiment and sticky visuals. Color doesn’t always make for colorful characters. [C-]