'Ray Gunn' Review: A Ludicrously Fun Animated Noir
Director Brad Bird makes his long-awaited return with his latest animated feature and passion project ‘Ray Gunn’. the film proves to be more than worth the wait as he continues to effortlessly excel in this highly populated genre.
‘Ray Gunn’ centers on a private detective named Ray Gunn (Sam Rockwell) who conducts investigations in the city of Metropia in an alternate future, struggling to keep his business afloat with his partner in crime Eye-Ra Kadok (Tom Waits). However, their lives become far more exciting when a new case arrives at their door involving murder, aliens and a megastar named Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). This animated noir has been a long-gestating passion project for writer/director Brad Bird, that passion etched into every frame of this exceedingly entertaining adventure.
Bird has proven to be a virtuoso in the animated genre with beloved classics like ‘The Iron Giant’, ‘Ratatouille’ and ‘The Incredibles’, deftly tackling a wide variety of stories as he has showcased a dizzying versatility which continues to be fully on display here. His vision for the film feels so wonderfully realized, the world building of Metropia and atmosphere he has created being wholly enveloping and incredibly immersive, coloring outside the margins as he populates this world with wonderful details, colorful, eclectic characters and nuance, leaning wholeheartedly into the noir aesthetic. His direction, coupled with the luscious cinematography from DP Erik Smitt, feels like a true love letter to classic noir, from the moody lighting to the retro-futuristic locales.
Not only is the world building impressive, but the action set pieces have that signature Bird gusto and panache as well. The action is consistently well-staged, playfully directed and palpably propulsive, utilizing every environment to its full potential as these sequences not only deliver ample entertainment value, but have wonderful bits of humor sprinkled within them to make them truly pop. Composer Michael Giacchino’s score is also a wonderful companion, his pitch-perfect score complimenting Bird’s vision and noir aesthetic with playful precision. Bird continues to be highly adept at not only making his set pieces feel dynamic, distinct and energized, but maintaining a consistent and breezy momentum that never lets up, but isn’t afraid to ease on the brakes to flesh out some of the film’s core characters.
The cast here is absolutely terrific across the board. Rockwell is an inspired choice for Gunn, imbuing the weathered private eye with enough dry, sardonic charm and grit to make him a protagonist that’s easy to become emotionally invested in. His chemistry and overall dynamic with Waits’ Kadok is a significant highlight of the film, their banter and close-knit relationship feeling lived-in and authentic. Johansson also delivers fantastic work here as megastar Venus Nova, giving the possible femme fatale enough layers and pathos beneath her polished, finely tuned facade to make her a fascinating character to follow as her life is consistently put in harm’s way. The chemistry between Rockwell and Johansson is effortless, the two veterans playing off of one another tremendously well as their initial prickly dynamic slowly evolves into something far more intimate and tender. Bird has always known how to entertain audiences in spades, but he also makes sure his characters don’t get short-changed in the process, something that has thankfully remained intact.
The film’s central mystery is certainly engaging and feels very inspired by noir classics of the past, toying with the audiences expectations and adding exciting new wrinkles and developments to its tangled web as it thoughtfully unfurls its story. However, while the central mystery is engaging, the narrative isn’t exactly filled to the brim with surprises or shocking twists. In fact, many of the film’s most significant reveals can be seen coming from a mile away, the film sometimes aiming to come across as more clever than it actually is. Fortunately, though the storytelling may lean a bit too predictable, Bird’s execution and storytelling flair mitigates this minor issue considerably.
‘Ray Gunn’ is a Brad Bird film through and through, filled to the brim with dazzling visuals, immensely entertaining set pieces and breezy, energized storytelling that is sure to capture the attention of audiences with effortless ease. What easily could’ve been an uninspired, cliche riddled chore of a passion project is anything but in Bird’s capable, assured hands, delivering a ludicrously fun noir adventure that is not only of the year’s best animated films, but one of the finest films in overall thus far. In short, never bet against Bird.