What’s It About
Ruby Gillman is a sweet and awkward high school student who discovers she’s a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queens. The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids. Destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, Ruby must use her newfound powers to protect those she loves most.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
An animated movie about Krakens and mermaids doesn’t seem that exciting. But Universal hoped Disney’s The Little Mermaid would spark interest in mermaids and have kids tripping over themselves to see it. Well, that interest was short-lived because Disney’s live-action film didn’t produce the box office numbers they were hoping for. That means Universals Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken had to create its own buzz and stand alone. That said, the film can stand on its own Hollywood-created legs, but it will take a lot of word of mouth to get kids interested in what looks like a 1990s pre-teen girl’s book. The animation is ok, it’s very colorful, and enough is happening to keep most kids in a theater quiet. The story is female-driven, but unlike Turning Red, another animated film starring and focusing on girls, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, doesn’t have the same spark. In the movie, Ruby is a fifteen-year-old high schooler living in an Oceanside village that has based everything it does on something water related. Despite that fact, Ruby is told by her mother to NEVER go into the ocean. And when the inevitable happens, Ruby turns into a Kraken. This is the first fifteen minutes, and there are so many unanswered questions. The first blaring question is, what did Ruby think she was before she went into the ocean? I know this is a children’s movie, but parents who take their kids to the theater will be bombarded with questions they can’t answer. The overall story and theme of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, is acceptance. That’s a great message that few moviegoers will understand because of all the other distractions presented by poor storytelling, sub-par animation, and plot holes any preschooler can point out.
OUR RATING – A FAST DIVING 5
MEDIA
- Genre – Family
- Street date
- Digital – July 18th, 2023
- DVD/Blu-Ray – September 26th, 2023
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound – English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
- Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras
- DELETED SCENES WITH INTROS – Introductions by Co-Director Faryn Pearl
- PROLOGUE
- WALK TO SCHOOL
- CRAB ‘N SKATE
- OCEANSIDE DRAWING GUIDE – Head of story, Glenn Harmon, will teach everyone how to draw Ruby Gillman in her teenager and kraken forms, Grandmamah, Chelsea, and mermaid Chelsea.
- RUBY GILLMAN
- KRAKEN RUBY
- GRANDMAMAH
- CHELSEA VAN DER ZEE
- MERMAID CHELSEA
- MAKE YOUR OWN AQUARIUM – With a few simple products and a little imagination, you can bring the undersea world into your own home.
- KRAKENARIUM
- WELL OF SEAS
- SQUAD SOLIDARITY: ADVENTURES IN ADR
- THE KRAKEN: MYTH OR MONSTER – In this animated piece narrated by Lana Condor and Annie Murphy, we dive deep into the mysteries of krakens and discover how stories of these mythical beasts have evolved over hundreds and hundreds of years.
- MEET THE GILLMAN CAST – Meet the cast behind your favorite RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN characters and discover what they loved about lending their voices to this aquatic adventure!
- THE KRAKEN KREW: MEET THE HUMANS BEHIND THE GILLMANS
- PROM STORIES – Ruby’s greatest wish was to attend prom with her friends and crush Connor! Here, the cast of the movie share their own prom stories and explain how they would design a promposal.
- SUPER SEA GIRL BESTIES – If you can see it, you can be it! In this piece we meet the talented women involved in the making of RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN.
- FEATURE COMMENTARY – with Director Kirk DeMicco, Co-Director Faryn Pearl, Producer Kelly Cooney Cilella, Head of Character Animation Carlos Fernandez Puertolas and Head of Cinematography, Layout Jon Gutman.