Into the Wonderwoods (originally titled Angelo dans la Forêt Mystérieuse in French) follows a young boy on a journey through a magical forest to reach his grandmother. It begins with a chaotic morning in Angelo’s (Dario Hardouin-Spurio) home as his dad (Benjamin Carlier) tries to feed breakfast to his infant sister while his mom (Marie Nonnenmacher) fields calls and catches up on work. Angelo spends much of his time in a fantasy world, imagining himself as Angelo the Adventurer (a fearless, ripped adult who has escaped death 18 times). It’s clear he possesses not only an amazing imagination, but also a thirst for adventure.
When his mom receives a call that Angelo’s grandmother is sick and doesn’t have much longer to live, the family sets out on a road trip to see her before it’s too late. Amidst the chaos and stress of managing three kids and a dying mother, Angelo’s parents accidentally leave him behind at a rest stop. As night falls, Angelo takes matters into his own hands and travels through the forest to reach his grandmother.
Angelo (and the audience) is thrown headfirst into the wild and sometimes frightening world of the Wonderwoods. In the woods, he encounters a variety of talking creatures, including a frog with a creepy caterpillar friend, a fluffy cloud struggling with anger management issues and Goouh (Emmanuel Garijo), a large but friendly grass creature known as the spirit of the forest. To reunite with his family, Angelo must team up with them to defeat a villain, Ultra (José Garcia), who seeks to destroy the forest in his quest to find the Spring of Life.
As evident from the list of creatures Angelo encounters, there is never a dull moment in his quest. The characters are entertaining and humorous for both adults and kids. However, this large group of creatures occasionally feels a bit too chaotic. The script loses itself in places, trying to add too much to the already disorderly story. Into the Wonderwoods would have benefited from a few less creatures, allowing for deeper exploration of the remaining characters.
The lack of development given to Goouh’s character is particularly disappointing. Goouh’s animation is beautiful, and as a simple, sweet guardian of the forest, we want to see more of him, learning about his trauma caused by Ultra and simply watching him interact with others. The pivotal role Goouh plays in the film’s plot highlights the need for more backstory to deliver the emotional punch the filmmakers intended.
While the film has room to grow in its script and character development, Into the Wonderwoods provides a fantastically fun journey through a child’s imagination. The filmmakers use animation and fantasy in the best ways possible, giving the audience a memorable and heartwarming glimpse into a little boy’s quest and his relationship with his grandmother.
