What’s up film fans? Slick Dungeon here once again reviewing one of the 2024 Oscar nominated films. This time I watched a movie about a girl with spirit teaming up with the most wanted man in the realm in the animated feature Nimona. This is one of the films up for Best Animated film for 2024. Be forewarned there will be spoilers in this review. If you find that sort of thing problematic, put on your armor, head over to your couch, learn what a real monster is by watching the film, and then come on back here to read the review!

What’s it About?

Nimona starts out like a classic fairy tale, with a narrator reading from a book about a kingdom in the past with a hero named Glorantha who vanquished a monster. We then fast forward a thousand years and that same kingdom is basically a medieval yet futuristic kingdom protected by an elite class of knights who prepare to fight monsters. A wall has been built around the city to keep any monsters at bay as well.

An unusual event is happening in the kingdom because for the first time a commoner is about to be knighted. This is Ballister Boldheart. He is worried about the reaction to his knighthood but his boyfriend and fellow knight Ambrosius Goldenloin reassures Ballister before the ceremony.

But at the ceremony, things go about as wrong as they can. Ballister picks up his sword which is rigged to kill the Queen. Acting quickly, Ambrosius disarms his boyfriend by, well, literally taking his arm off. Before he knows it, Ballister is a wanted fugitive, trying to hide from his fellow knights and clear his own name. He goes into hiding and crafts a prosthetic arm for himself.

The film really gets going when a shapeshifting girl named Nimona shows up and wants to be Ballister’s villainous sidekick. Ballister is still trying to clear his name, Nimona is looking for a friend, and the two basically team up to figure out what is going on.

There are plenty of fun action sequences where Nimona shapeshifts and Ballister attempts to maintain his innocence while doing things that look guilty on camera. Meanwhile, Ambrosius is torn between his loyalty to the crown and his love for Ballister.

Ballister also tries to get Nimona to stop shapeshifting and just be a regular girl. But, of course, that’s not who Nimona is and she doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do.

Throughout the film we find out that Nimona is more than what she seems until it is revealed that she is actually the monster that was banished a thousand years ago. But there is more to the story. Nimona, it would seem, is the one who was wronged for just being who she is. She was never trying to hurt anyone.

Things come to a head with both Nimona and Ballister where it looks like Ballister is the most wicked man in the realm and Nimona is about to destroy the city. But through their connection, Ballister is able to pull Nimona back from the brink of destruction and clear his own name. Thus the two of them become heroes while the real villain, the Director, who plotted everything from the beginning is exposed to the masses.

The heroes come together, Nimona is seen for who she is, Ballister is lauded for his bravery and he is able to have a life with Ambrosius. This is all done with a good amount of punk rock attitude.

The Animation

The animation is solid and it’s a neat blend of past and future which brings about a unique look for the film. The action is frenetic and satisfying and it has a killer soundtrack as well. The voice talent is strong, especially with Rhiz Ahmed as Ballister and Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona.

While the blend of past and future is innovative, and the look of the film is unique, the animation isn’t so compelling as to be anything you haven’t seen before.

The Fun factor

The story is solid and the soundtrack is good but what makes this movie stand out is the sense of fun here. Nimona’s attitude is decidedly unconventional and it’s honestly refreshing to see that in an animated film. Even as she’s planning to do evil things, you can’t help but be on her side. And with Ballister as the foil to her attitude the whole thing just works pretty well.

It’s definitely one of the more enjoyable Oscar picks this year and is worth a watch if you enjoy animation.

In Conclusion

While Nimona has a lot going for it, and I do recommend it as a viewing experience, I don’t think this one will win the Oscar. The biggest innovation here is letting the characters be themselves in a world where most animated characters have to fit in a neat little box. The way the movie plays around with identity and the understanding of what makes a hero or a villain is nice to see. But ultimately, there were better animated films released in 2023 and Nimona would be a pretty long shot to win. Winning an award is not the only reason someone should watch a movie though. Look, if you are wanting a good time with an animated film, you could do much, much worse than Nimona. If you haven’t seen it, I do recommend it. Just don’t hold your breath expecting it to win the Oscar.

Heroically yours,

Slick Dungeon