While visiting the Fortress of Ineptitude last week, son Dean and friend Jan introduced Andrea and I to an animated movie we had never heard of before.
So let's get a blog post out of it.
It's... Movie Time!
From 2023, the movie is Nimona, an animated science fantasy action-adventure film with a very distinctive style and vibe.
This film takes on some serious world building, creating an almalgam of medieval themes, futuristic tech and present day commercialism and pop culture.
A long,long time ago....
A legendary heroine known as Gloreth vanquished a "Great Black Monster" and enclosed the kingdom with a high wall to protect it from other such monstorious threats.
A thousand years gone, the Institute for Elite Knights continue to protect the kingdom and it's citizens.
Queen Valerin seeks to induct Ballister Boldheart into this society of knights. A decision not everyone is on board with as Ballister is the first commoner to receive this honor.
Ambrosius Goldenloin, a fellow knight and Ballister's boyfriend, is on his side but that's about it.
During a ceremony wherein Ballister is to be fully inducted as a knight, his sword shoots out a laser blast killing the Queen.
It's Ambrosius who leaps into action to disarm Ballister.
Literally.
Ambrosius cuts off Ballister's arm.
It's not enough to stop Ballister from escaping.
But even as Ballister cobbles together a mechanical arm to replace his missing limb, it's hard to stay hidden and find proof he was framed.
The entire kingdom hates him and has labeled him a villain.
Including Nimona.
Hey, that's who the movie is named after.
OK, we've gone through a lot to get to the introduction of our titular protagonist, you might forget the movie is called Nimona and why it's called that.
Well, she's here now. Who the hell is Nimona?
Nimona is a fast talking, impulsive young woman with shape shifting powers and a propensity for creating chaos.
She's decided every super villian needs a sidekick and she's gonna be one for Ballister.
Ballister's insistence he is not a villain, just misunderstood and wrongly accused does little to deter Nimona who plants herself emphatically next to Ballister's side.
Ballister didn't ask for this but he now as... well, a puppy.
As I noted earlier this week, Rosie the dog has a new canine sister, a puppy named London. London is cute and loveable. She is also just bursting with energy and that explodes in bursts of hyperkinetic impulsiveness.
Nimona is like that.
And like London's own sad origin (lost and abandoned until Dean and Jan found her), we will discover Nimona's boisterous confidence belies a somber backstory.
Ballister's not the only one in this story who is misunderstood and wrongly accused.
As Ballister and Nimona buzz through the city looking for clues and evidence to show Ballister was framed for the murder of the queen, we get glimpses into Nimona's psyche and her past.
Nimona as a young girl befriends another young girl who lives in a rustic village. The two girls become fast friends, a status undaunted by the revelation of Nimona's shape shifting powers.
Until Nimona's abilities are exposed to the villagers who recoil in fear and suspicion and urge Nimona's friend to do the same.
Nimona's friend is Gloreth who history lauds as the one who saved the kingdom from the Great Black Monster.
The Great Black Monster otherwise known as Nimona.
The director of the Institute for Elite Knights has discovered Nimona's connection to the legend of Gloreth and poisons the kingdom's citizens against her.
Ambrosius questions Ballister's loyalty to Nimona and her true motives for helping him.
Reeling with doubt and uncertainty, Ballister questions Nimona and this is more than she can stand.
Feeling betrayed by Ballister, Nimona's pain and loss consume her.
The kingdom thinks she's the Great Black Monster?
Fine! She'll give 'em the Great Black Monster!
What follows is an action packed and emotionally fraught climax as Nimona changes from a raging menace to a victim of deep despair who seeks to end her existence to the kingdom's salvation from a dangerous and deadly threat.
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Nimona went through nearly a decade of development hell.
In June 2015, 20th Century Fox Animation acquired the rights for an animated feature film adaptation of the Nimona webcomic by ND Stevenson. The film would be produced by Fox subsidiary Blue Sky Studios with an eye on a 2020 release.
In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox. Nimona was delayed until 2021, then to 2022.
On February 9, 2021, Disney announced it was closing down Blue Sky Studios, and Nimona was cancelled.
Former Blue Sky staff members stated the film received pushback from Disney leadership concerning the film's LGBTQ themes and a same-sex kiss.
On April 11, 2022, it was announced that Annapurna Pictures and Netflix had retrieved Nimona from the dust bin.
And the finished film made it's debut a year later in 2023.
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Nimona is very much a unique sort of film with a distintive animation style, mile a second action and rapid fire jokes, subversive satire and yes, rip your heart out sadness.
And the soundtrack rocks!
While watching the movie, I heard a song that sounded familiar.
And it hit me: OH MY GOD! THAT'S METRIC!!!!
I have documented in the past my obsessive fascination with the Canadian rock band fronted by Emily Haines and I was stoked as fuck to hear them in Nimona.
Here's Metric with the song on the Nimona soundtrack, "Gold Guns Girls"
Kudos to Dean and Jan for introducing Andrea and I to Nimona.
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