DEVIL DINOSAUR, MOON GIRL
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Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is, as the title character says quite often, “magic.”
The animated series, which currently has its first six episodes streaming on Disney+, is based on the comic book Moon Girl which debuted in 2015 (although Devil Dinosaur did make a run in the late ’70s with a character named Moon Boy). The series revolves around 13-year-old genius Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White, The Bold & The Beautiful) who accidentally teleports a T-Rex (Fred Tatasciore, The Legend of Vox Machina) to the Lower East Side of New York. Together they, along with Lunella’s friend and social media manager Casey (Libe Barer, Sneaky Pete), go around cleaning up the L.E.S. from super villains and improving the morale of the local community who have rallied around her.
The animation style of the series lends itself perfectly to a comic book adaptation. It’s as though the pages of the comic book have come to life similar to Into the Spider-verse. The vibrancy of the show’s color palette and the outside-the-box use of editing for the series sets apart from the everyday superhero series. It bolsters the youthful exuberance of our heroes’ experience while making the visuals as memorable as the characters themselves.
This refreshing and exciting aesthetic is perfectly displayed during the big fight sequences at end of every episode. These “big boss fights” double as musical numbers, and as wild as it sounds, it works flawlessly. The color changes and wild editing take the viewer into this hyperrealistic world where Moon Girl explains and executes her plan to defeat the big bad through song. While this may sound silly, the decision to change the world of the show during these numbers makes perfect sense. Having a hero break out in song in the middle of a fight and presenting the fight as “just a fight” would be would come off as a bit jarring and could halt the story dead. Taking the hero out of the fight and altering it to make it a fantastical situation allows the music to work in a much more organic way.
Speaking of music, Raphael Saadiq’s score is absolutely brilliant. The Grammy winner, Emmy and Academy Award nominee (who some may remember from the ’90s group Tony! Toni! Toné!) creates this brilliant sonic tapestry that captures the heart and soul of Moon Girl and her neighborhood. The score is so good that even if you never watch this show, you could easily add this to your favorite instrumental playlist.
It’s this attention to artistic detail that makes Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur a terrific watch for the parents in the room. Still, this show is decidedly for kids. Her relationship with Devil Dinosaur and KC are both fun, cute and high-energy…like any other kid that age. Devil’s non-verbal communication – usually through emojis in thought bubbles – makes it a character kids will love because of its timeliness and adults will love for the playfulness.
Yet, Moon Girl/Lunella is more than just a fantastic character. She’s portrayed as more of a real kid than…well, a cartoon. The messaging of the series is extremely strong. In the first two episodes alone, Moon Girl deals with stress and anxiety over trying to save the day, internet trolls, trying to be a present and good friend, and, most importantly, how to be a better person, a better friend, each day. This messaging is never lost amongst all the bombastic elements of the show. No color is too bright, no song is too catchy, and no villain is too captivating for the episode’s message to be missed.
This is what makes Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur not just a good animated series, but a memorable one. Its attention to the artistic, philosophical, and emotional content while never forgetting to have fun is a balance rarely struck in children’s programming. This series is a wonderful must-watch for kids and adults alike. Run, don’t walk for this one.\
