Premiering on Netflix this week is the 3D animated family comedy The Willoughbys, based on the children's book of the same name by Lois Lowry. It's Netflix's second original animated movie following the release of Klaus in 2019. The Willoughbys has an oddball take on a classic premise of family and adventure, bolstered by an all-star voice cast who bring this old-fashioned family to life. With a dark sense of humor and some bleak story beats, The Willoughbys isn't a typical, Disney-fied animated movie, and it's all the more refreshing for it. The Willoughbys is a mishmash of story ideas strung together by the idea of found family, but it's cute and quirky enough to keep viewers hooked.
Broadly, The Willoughbys is about the four Willoughby children - Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara) and the twins both named Barnaby (Seán Cullen) - trying to be happy as a family. But since their mother (Jane Krakowski) and father (Martin Short) are abusive and neglectful, the children decide to orchestrate a dangerous trip for their parents that will leave them orphans. When their parents leave, though, the Willoughbys are left under the care of a Nanny (Maya Rudolph), who Tim doesn't trust. With the help of Nanny, a narrating Cat (Ricky Gervais) who can't help but get involved and candy magnate Commander Melanoff (Terry Crews), the Willoughby children will learn what it really means to be a great family.
The Willoughbys is directed by Kris Pearn (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) from a script he co-wrote with storyboard artist Mark Stanleigh based on the book by Lowry. From a story standpoint, The Willoughbys suffers from a problem that can arise in adapting certain books, usually comics that have shorter stories within an overarching narrative. The movie is set up like a chapter book, with each chapter seeing the children deal with a new problem then resolve it before moving on to the next. For instance, at one point, Tim and his siblings must dissuade a group of people from buying the Willoughby house. That story within the movie is resolved and a new problem is immediately presented. It makes The Willoughbys feel disjointed, like a series of shorts strung together, but the ending of the movie does offer a satisfying emotional resolution that works to tie everything (mostly) together.
Helping to elevate The Willoughbys is the voice cast, with standouts like Forte, Rudolph, Short and Krakowski, who have extensive backgrounds in comedy and bring those sensibilities to Netflix's animated movie. Gervais similarly has an ease of slipping into his voice role that helps to entrench the viewer in this world. Cara is newer to voice acting, but she works well as Jane, the musical-prone middle child of the Willoughby family. Cara also does a beautiful job of singing the song that works as the emotional climax of the movie, "I Choose." Paired with the animation style of The Willoughbys, which trends toward uniquely striking, the voice cast brings this world to life with stunning vividness.
What inevitably makes The Willoughbys work is its dedication to the idea of choosing your family, of not feeling beholden to care for someone who does not care for you simply because they're your relation by blood. The emotional themes of found family are not often seen in children's media (at least, not in movies where the parents aren't already dead), and it makes The Willoughbys stand apart as both a commentary on typical animated family movies and an alternative, and incredibly important, story. The journey of Tim, Jane and the Barnabys will be relatable to many children - and adults - with imperfect families, and The Willoughbys deftly handles such complicated emotions so that viewers of any age can understand. This heart is what makes The Willoughbys shine, but the dark humor and silly comedy of the movie balance it out to make the film an all-around delight to watch.
As such, The Willoughbys is the perfect viewing for families stuck at home at the moment and needing something to entertain children young and old. Though it may be a bit dark for very young children, there's something for everyone in The Willoughbys - from silly, childish humor to a Deliverance reference (yes, seriously) that only adults will get. But The Willoughbys isn't just for families with children, it's for families of all kinds, particularly chosen families who will see themselves represented on screen. Certainly, Netflix original movies can be a bit of a mixed bag, but with only two under its belt, the streamer's animated offerings are proving to be equally fun and heartfelt. Netflix users of any age won't go wrong by checking out The Willoughbys while stuck at home.
The Willoughbys is now streaming on Netflix. It is 92 minutes long and rated PG for rude humor and some thematic elements.
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