For a kid, a mermaid is always loved, while ‘kraken’ is the other name for terror. “A sea beast can’t be a mermaid’’ — well think again, as Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken changes the concept entirely. The animated movie is about a shy, but intelligent girl, who happens to have a protective mother and devoted friends that help her out.

Filled with vibrant visuals and supported by an excellent voice cast, Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken is a coming-of-age movie with a problem faced by nearly everyone. A girl has a restriction on her, a hyper-active younger brother watches over her, she has a crush on a boy in school while she is totally against going to school, where students make fun of her blue skin.

Just like Pixar’s Turning Red, where the growing up phase is discussed, Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken also takes up adolescence as a subject. It is the first movie from Dreamworks where there is a female titular hero, Ruby (voiced by Lana Condor), who lives in a coastal village named Oceanside, in a family of four. She is different from other kids at school and is asked to stay away from water. When the prom is held on a boat, she accidentally falls in water and realises her true parentage. Her maternal grandmother is Kraken Queen (voiced by the amazing Jane Fonda) while her uncle Brill (voiced by Sam Richardson) is the always-on-your-side type of a character.

The bad-guy in the movie is a mermaid, Queen Nerissa (Annie Murphy). As the evil queen of mermaids, she has a personal vendetta with the Gillman family. At Oceanside High, she poses as Chelsea Van Der Zee, the popular new girl at high school who is loved by all. A mermaid attack is thwarted by the Gillmans who are in control of the affairs. The animation is too good, the seaside buildings and an ocean clearly bring the smell of the sea to you.

It is directed by Kirk DeMIcco, who has earlier made Croods (2013) and Vivo (2012). Truly a family entertainment, the 91-minute animated movie sends a clear message that no matter how shy and introverted you are, it’s just a matter of time that you realise your true potential and understand what you are capable of.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 11TH, 2023