FLORA & ULYSSES (2021)

FLORA & ULYSSES (2021)

Tagline:  No tights. No cape. No problem.

(Family, Adventure, Comedy) [PG]

In this one, a young cynic named Flora (played by Matilda Lawler) battles against allowing the specter of “hope” into her life as her mother Phyllis, (played by  Alyson Hannigan best known for the crappy TV show version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and father George, (played by Ben Schwartz who has been crushing it with roles lately and actually is probably best known now for voicing SONIC THE HEDGEHOG). Along comes a squirrel that gets stuck in a talking vacuum and bam… a super squirrel she later names Ulysses (which actually the name of the vacuum brand). The town they are in is plagued by an arch-nemesis… namely, the animal control department headed up by an overzealous man named Miller (played by Danny Pudi best known for the TV show Community). Can Ulysses bring Flora the one thing she needs most…hope? 

The Good – This thing is super imaginative and has tons of comic-book loves notes in it throughout. Flora’s dad is actually a comic book creator down on his luck and now working at a retail store. This allows the movie a lot of latitude in throwing some cool characters her dad invented into the mix when Flora is pondering her potential and Ulysses. This movie also has a ton of lighthearted moments and brings a bit of comedy to the storyline via Flora’s already stubborn cynical approach to life. She’s literally read the book on it “Bad Things Can Happen To You”. It’s actually pretty fantastic that she is the way she is as the film moves along. We also get introduced to a really cool friend of hers named William (played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth who is already making a name for himself). I really like both Phyllis and George in this and think the family dynamic while slightly cliché, brings something to the table. There are also some pretty decent emotional tugs in this and I love that in heartwarming flicks like this. 

The Bad – Okay, I am going to say the ending of this thing is pretty freakin cheesy. There is also something that happens to William’s character that is completely out of the clear blue sky and makes so little sense I am sure it offended at least some in one disabled community. I am not going to spoil what it was, but damn, it’s a really weird and completely unnecessary moment in the movie. I also wasn’t crazy about the villain in this movie played by Danny Pudi. Pudi wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that his character was too over the top with little explanation as to why. Like he wants to freakin kill every squirrel he sees, especially Ulysses. I am guessing if there is ever a part 2, that it would be a smart idea to give this dude at least a tiny back story. There is also a really ridiculous homage to AVENGERS: ENDGAME in this movie that for me didn’t come across as the intended nod to the MCU. It really doesn’t fit Flora’s character when she says it. I am not going to tell you what this is either because it’s nauseatingly obvious in the film. 

Effects wise this movie is okay, some things are really strong, but you can clearly tell Ulysses is CGI. So if that sort of thing bugs you, then this movie might. Cinematically it’s light-hearted and actually pretty damn fun. I would watch it again. 

This movie reminds me a lot of G-FORCE in its lighter pallet and themes but it’s not as tacky humor-wise, it is more level-headed. Unfortunately, as the movie moves along the comic book elements are more and more cast aside to bring focus to friction between Flora and her mom. Overall this is a 4 out of 7 for me. I do think that younger kids will have a total blast with it and I would like to see this become a bit of a series.

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF WALT DISNEY PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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