Ray Gunn Review – Brad Bird’s animated film-noir sci-fi caper is a family classic | It’s a movie

Brad Bird, the Spielberg of animation, applies his authoritative touch to a family horror film that finds form in the mystery of dull, AI-formulaic storytelling and visuals. This motion picture is witty, witty, and personable: a magical fantasy with old-fashioned entertainment values ​​and some amazing cityscape design that portrays a deceptively sweet romance.

The setting is a futuristic wonderland, a retro-futurist cityscape with hints of Metropolis and Blade Runner; there’s a lot of walking protocol, flying cars and scary hologram boards, yes, but it’s a light touch to bring the fun back into what could otherwise be a cliche. This is where the fun of old-school noir will take place with tough private detectives and bad guys with modern laser-particle guns (this explains the title, although I hope it might include some reference to 1980s Republican politics). There are careless cops, no-nonsense club owners and shady attractive ladies played by Lana Turner and Veronica Lake. Aerial vehicles also have the bright lines of the last century, and TV monitors show black and white images; Plasma flatscreens are apparently not invented.

Sam Rockwell voices the role of Raymond Gunn, an ex-cop-turned-cop who left the police force after covering up the misdeeds of a female detective with whom he was deeply in love; his tough personality overshadows the heroic softie. He lives in a country with prejudice against aliens, and Ray takes some heat for working with Eyera (voiced by Tom Waits), an alien who at the end of one devastating incident, is admitted to a human-only hospital. Ray’s path intersects with that of singing star Venus Nova (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) whose creepy and good-natured fourth husband Arnold (Bobby Cannavale) is dating Venus’s stand-in twice; he is trying to use this woman to create fake evidence of an affair that could lead to a lucrative divorce. (Divorce laws are a bit retro in this world too.)

When Venus discovers her planned scam, she threatens to kill Arnold in front of witnesses, casting a deadly cloud over her reputation – but the ruthless Arnold has something for her. It all leads to a sinister plot, involving Venus’ smoothie boss and first husband Barry (Alan Tudyk) and fez-wearing nightclub owner and mob boss Slugsy (Matt Berry), who comes across as a cross between Sydney Greenstreet and Jabba the Hutt.

There are some great set pieces – especially when Ray and Venus are sitting on the floor of a club offering a “zero gravity” encounter that allows its dancers and lovers to float around as if they were in space. We also get a strange encounter where a gun turns out to be – temporarily – able to taunt the limbs of those it sees. And on top of all that, the movie has something to say about algorithmic ads and data privacy. It’s a charming, very entertaining film with a lot of heart.