Introduction
Long time no see, fellow adventurers! After a period of no animated movies, Netflix had released an animated movie labelled as a “Netflix Special” called Entergalactic, which serves as a companion to the newest music album of the same name created by Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi. It is also worth noting that Mike Moon, the new president of Illumination’s upcoming adult animation label Moonlight, also co-produced this special, and that he co-created it in tribute to Cudi’s deceased friend, fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
Entergalactic is a romantic comedy set in New York City about street artist Jabari, who moved to a new apartment in New York City, and after a chance meeting with his new neighbour and photographer Meadow, he wondered whether he has time to make space for a romantic relationship.
With DNEG Animation (who had already worked on the visual effects of many movies throughout my recent memory) working together with Netflix and Kid Cudi for this special, will Entergalactic be another great addition to the Netflix catalogue, or will it be forgotten in a heartbeat?
Key Information
- Director: Fletcher Moules
- Animation Studios: Netflix Animation and DNEG Animation (with Khalabo Ink Society and Mad Solar)
- Country of Origin: United States of America
- Rating: R21
- Release Date: 30 September 2022 (On Netflix)
Trailer
The Review
Story and Characters
Given that Entergalactic was originally going to be a TV series, the team decided to instead treat it as a special animated movie, divided into different chapters. However, despite the structural change, it did not affect the fact that Entergalactic has one of the most genuine romantic plotlines of any movie this year.
The main romantic plotline between Kid Cudi’s Jabari and Jessica Williams’ Meadow felt like, well, a real romantic relationship. Each scene between them builds up anticipation of their love relationship, and the more they get to know each other, the more they began connecting their passions together. It also helped that they do encounter some conflicts, as opposed to the flowery, unrealistically perfect relationship.
Each side also has their group of friends who support Jabari and Meadow along the way, but may not offer the best advice on offer. Jabari has his weed-loving friends who went out club hopping together, plus his ex, Carmen, whom she connects with him time to time. Meadow also has her best friend Karina (voiced by High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens) who acts as her pillar of support. While their friends have little pastime, their friendship and support also felt real, and that makes the relationship more believable.
All the above came down to the movie’s biggest strength: the writing. For a Netflix special, it has some of the best writing and dialogue of the year. The writers took a simple rom-com plotline and turn it into a story that is deep, engaging and sometimes thought-provoking. In addition, the plot was very smooth with little to no bumps and plot holes, making this slice-of-life an engaging watch.
Despite the familiar rom-com setting, Entergalactic brings a fresh take on the formulae plotline with some good comedy chops to prove the point too. None of the jokes were trying too hard and there were enough jokes to make me laugh and chuckle without being too overbearing, something most adult animation content these days is guilty of.
Adult animation tends to get flak for bad writing and cheesy comedy, but Entergalactic has none of those typical flaws, which goes to show that there is more to adult animation content than gross-out, cringe-worthy comedies that go nowhere.
Animation
In terms of the animation side, given that DNEG was off from working with Locksmith Animation for Ron’s Gone Wrong, which bombed despite positive reviews, they got back to work together with Netflix for the animation and the result? It was gorgeous.
With Entergalactic taking place in New York City, the stylised animation it possesses breath new life into this already vibrant city. The background animation is easily one of the best of the year and the wide and deliberate use of colours and designs is a thing of beauty. I love the amount of detail going into the locations around the City, which proves that you can never go wrong in bringing a new interpretation about New York City, no matter how many times you do.
However, it was not just the beauty that makes the animation top-notch, but also the character designs. The characters have their distinct flair and felt like their own unique personifications. Even the hair designs look detailed and unique, something rarely seen from smaller animation studios with not so big budgets.
Given that the animators chose a rotoscoping style of animation with some 2D stylisation, it is clear about the similarities between this and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but trust me, both are completely different, yet exceptional animated movies in their own right. The important thing is that Entergalactic brings another proof about how unique and interesting stylised animation can be.
Special Sauce
And now, the special elements in the movie:
- Soundtrack: Kid Cudi used Entergalactic as a platform to promote his new album of the same name and… let me tell you, I do not usually listen to his music, but the way the creators utilise the soundtrack is great! Every song serves a purpose, not a distraction, and it also gives a lot of positive vibes throughout the movie.
- A Special Tribute: Kid Cudi dedicated this movie to his late friend and fashion designer Virgil Abloh, which I will be fair, I am not familiar with Abloh. Still, the quality of this special makes it a special tribute to remember.
- When Jabari Meets Meadow: There was a clear inspiration from the rom-com classic “When Harry Met Sally”, such as the non-stop dialogue between Jabari and Meadow as they walked along the streets of New York. Given the similar vibes between these two movies, I am surprised Entergalactic did not do their own spin of the Katz scene in the original, but hey, just a small nit-pick of mine…
- A First Impression: As I mentioned, Mike Moon, the upcoming president of Moonlight (Illumination Entertainment’s new adult-centric animation studio) and long-time collaborator of Netflix’s adult animation line-up, co-produced this special. Honestly, what a great first impression from him, and I hope he greenlights more ambitious animation projects once he gets the new studio up and running…
Conclusion
I had to admit, did anyone expect this special to be this good? Entergalactic may seem unassuming at first, but I have to admit, this movie fires on all cylinders, and is proof that there is so much potential in adult animation out there.
While the animation is equally impressive and trippy, what sold it for me about Entergalactic is the engaging romantic plot between Jabari and Meadow that feels genuine, hilarious comedy that does not try too hard to be funny and great use of Kid Cudi’s songs that control the atmosphere of every scene rather than being annoying and unnecessary. If this is a first impression of what was to come from Mike Moon once he gets started on leading ambitious adult animation projects for Moonlight, then sign me up for more of this! A great example of doing an adult animated work that is not a gross-out comedy.
Thank you so much for reading this review. There is still time for a break before the next one comes out, so I will see you on the next adventure. Until then, k thanks bye!
Rating
- Story and Characters: 5/5
- Animation: 4.5/5
- Special Sauce: 5/5
- Overall Score: 14.5/15
Rating: Euphoria
