Considering their involvement with one of the most successful children’s networks, it’s surprising that Paramount Pictures doesn’t have a well-established animation studio. Now they have “Wonder Park,” the latest film from their revamped Paramount Animation.
Animated mainly by the Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios, with Paramount Animation handling the story, editing, voice cast, “Wonder Park” is a definite visual wonder. The lighting is especially incredible, and the film’s various multicolored sets and contraptions are detailed and intricate.
Virtually every scene has some sort of visual magic going on, whether it’s the multitudes of tiny Chimpan-Zombies running around or a cascade of sparks and lava during an action sequence, it’s a movie tailor-made to show off 4K TVs at home or in Best Buys. A sequence halfway through at a fireworks ride is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous of the year so far. Although, it is accompanied by a bizarre fisheye lens zoom effect for the first act.
Which is unfortunate overall because, that’s really all that “Wonder Park” has. A voice cast consisting of Jennifer Garner (“13 Going on 30,” “Daredevil”), Matthew Broderick (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “The Cable Guy”), Kennan Thompson (“Kenan & Kel,” “Good Burger”), Ken Jeong (“Community,” “Dr. Ken”), Mila Kunis (“That 70s Show,” “Family Guy”), John Oliver (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “The Smurfs (2011)”), Norbert Leo Butz (“Bloodline,” “Mercy Street”), and Ken Hudson Campbell (“Armageddon,” “Herman’s Head”) can’t even dredge a muddled and mediocre script back from the brink.
However, you cannot mention the voice acting without also bringing up newcomer Brianna Denski, who absolutely kills it here as the young June. While she has a few smaller credits to her name, Denski makes her big-budget debut here, and she goes above and beyond to make the best out of an inconsistent script. It’s truly admirable and she’s one of the film’s best aspects.
To be fair, none of these actors are delivering top-notch work though. They aren’t awful. In fact, Broderick is a warm and enjoyable father figure for main character June. Oliver is funny enough and he’s the only consistent stream of comedy that it’s flat. Butz and Campbell, as Boomer and Peanut, respectively, are the only ones to seem to be putting any effort in. Both of their characters provide nice gooey centers of emotional support, and Peanut ends up being a legitimate surprise in terms of emotional vulnerability.
It’s a shame that vulnerability isn’t put to good use though. About 95 percent of the plot is rehashed ideas from past animated ventures. The sick parent, the child who loses their imagination, a mysterious “darkness,” etc. Not of it is particularly awful. It’s just so incredibly bland and lifeless, seeming even more so when accompanied by the gorgeous animation.
However, credit where credit is due, it does try to incorporate some new ideas into its lazy script from Josh Appelbaum (“Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”), André Nemec (“Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”), and Robert Gordon (“Galaxy Quest,” “Men in Black II”).There’s a thinly veiled metaphor for depression that has an admirable conclusion. The logistics of the theme park itself, and where it fits into the film’s lore are also supremely interesting, especially regarding its creation.
There’s also a fair amount of effort put into heroine June’s characterization. She’s extremely smart, but never in a way that annoys like other movies with smart young protagonists. Her ideas, inventions and intuition save the day for most of the movie, and she’s a confident creator at that. It’s a welcome role model for the young kids, especially girls, who’ll see her in this flick.
But goodness gracious does this film play a tonal tap-dance. What starts out as a fun meditation on imagination then turns dark with the previously mentioned “parent got sick” plotline, before derailing into a territory populated by tiny destructive “Chimpan-Zombies” and multiple cute and cuddly mascots uttering the words “We’re at war!” It’s virtual tonal whiplash in the first act, and while things eventually settle to a more consistent level, it takes half the movie to get there.
“Wonder Park” also plays an interesting balancing act that, if it were intentional, might seem like an achievement. It is somehow ridiculously hyperactive in its animation and dialogue, with some sequences moving so blazingly fast they seem like they’re missing frames, yet some sequences move normally. It’s as if someone chopped the movie up and put random scenes on fast forward.
This is not a film devoid of any creativity or fun. The stuffed-toys-turned-Chimpan-Zombies are amusing as they run around committing acts of destruction while spouting cheery theme park catchphrases. There are the aforementioned attempts to make the plot something deeper, and, to reiterate, this movie is beautiful!
Things even manage to pick up in the third act, often where most mediocre animated films fail. The last 15-20 minutes are satisfying, bringing the film full circle in a clever way, and showing what could have been with a more focused vision to match the gorgeous look of the film.
At the end of the day though, beauty can only get a movie so far. Especially one that is clearly trying to present deeper ideas to its audience. A few committed voice actors, a gorgeous display of visuals, a great third act and a well-intended, but flawed depth can’t set “Wonder Park” apart from its own poor tonal work and blandness. It’s like a balloon from a theme park. It’s shiny and pretty, but there are a million others like it. 2/5
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