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When you think of jaw-dropping, hand-drawn animation, you probably think of Studio Ghibli, whose whimsical and heartfelt films have captured the hearts of moviegoers for almost 40 years. And while imitation may been the sincerest form of flattery, rarely have others been able to replicate their magical combination of fantastical visuals and emotional storytelling. Whether it's the majestic, fairy tale qualities of Princess Mononoke, the dream-like nature of Spirited Away, or the steampunk futurism of Howl's Moving Castle, Ghibli's movies are uniquely special to animation fans. But with Arco, director Ugo Bienvenu has managed to achieve the near-impossible, crafting a story that's every bit as spectacular as any tale Hayao Miyazaki and company have ever told on the big screen. The year is 2075, and the world is a much different place from what we know today. Houses are protected from catastrophic weather by giant domes, robots have replaced humans in such professions as policing and childcare, and children ride their hover scooters to school, rather than bikes. This is the reality that Iris (Romy Fay) and her baby brother Peter have grown up in, a world where their parents wouldn't hesitate to leave them in the care of their robot nanny, Mikki. But when Iris comes across a mysterious boy in the woods one day — a boy named Arco (Natalie Portman) — she'll soon learn that her present seems tame compared to what lies in store for our planet. Hailing from a future where a devastating flood has submerged most of the Earth, where people dwell in sky-high homes built atop towering pillars, and where time travel is possible, Arco has crash-landed in the past purely by accident. Now that he's here, however, he'll need Iris' help to get back home. And with both an army of robots and a trio of bumbling brothers named Dougie, Stewie and Frankie (Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea) hot on Arco's trail, Iris and Arco will have to use all of their wits to try and make that happen. A dream-like mash-up of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Castle in the Sky and Back to the Future, with a dash of The Iron Giant and The Beatles' Yellow Submarine thrown in, the result is everything fans of traditional animation could ask for. Yet, even with all its colorful visuals, it's the relationship between the film's two plucky young protagonists that will stay with viewers. Suffice to say, Arco is as sincere and imaginative as the genre gets. And while Studio Ghibli remains the undisputed champion of 2D animated storytelling, it's refreshing to see that there are filmmakers out there who can be just as inspired — and inspiring. |
Arco screens under the Centrepiece and TIFF Next Wave Selects programmes at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Its runtime is 1 hr. 28 min.
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