If it weren’t for the colorful animation and frantic sight gags, it would almost be startling just how dark the central conceit behind The Willoughbys is. Based on the novel of the same name by Lois Lowry, the basic idea is that we have this family with a rich legacy of explorers, philosophers, aristocrats, and of course, amazing mustaches. Sadly, none of those great qualities have been passed down to the current heads of the household. Not only are Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby (Martin Short and Jane Krakowski, respectively) lack the legendary mustache, but they are lazy, self-absorbed, cruel, and astonishingly neglectful of their children.
In the film, we follow the misadventures of the children. We have Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara), and the creepy twins both inexplicably named Barnaby (Seán Cullen). Finally being sick and tired of the way they have been treated, they hatch up a plan to get rid of their parents, by sending them on an extensive vacation where they would travel to various dangerous destinations that would ideally get them killed. But they find themselves in the care of a Nanny (Maya Rudolph), while also dealing with an orphaned baby that they previously found on their doorstep, and left in the care of the Willy Wonka-esque candy maker Commander Melanoff (Terry Crews).
Also, the whole thing is narrated by the family cat, who is voiced by Ricky Gervais.
What stands out immediately is the animation. Following the success of Klaus and I Lost My Body, both of which made my best of 2019 list, and I guess to a lesser extent, their wonderful anthology series, Love, Death & Robots, Netflix has been making a strong impression with their animated projects. The look of The Willoughbys is full of striking angular designs, tactile textures, and vibrant colors that make the film a relentless piece of eye candy. There is so much to admire in the animation from scene to scene, which heightens its already funny onslaught of visual gags.
Having not read the book, I don’t know how faithful the film is to Lowry’s book. The plotting is noticeably episodic. There’s a slightly disjointed quality to the way the film moves from sequence to sequence, much of which is already set off by literal cat ex machina since the cat will get involved, and set certain things in motion. I honestly could have done without most of the cat stuff. It’s a touch clunky, but I doubt any child watching would care, and plus, there’s more than enough charm, humor, and inventiveness from moment to moment to keep things engaging.
The film touches on the fairly common theme of found families, as the kids grow fond of Nanny, who they initially believe to be a stooge of their parents, but it turns out despite her lack of qualifications, she genuinely cares for their well being. And despite Commander Melanoff’s appearance and the fact that he seems to live in his own candy factory, he proves to be a loving father to the baby that was left at his doorstep by the Willoughby children. It doesn’t explore this idea in a new way, but it is done in earnest, and works well enough for the film.
I wouldn’t necessarily say I enjoyed The Willoughbys more than some of Netflix’s other animated efforts, but it is still a very good time for audiences both young and old alike. The voice work is very good from the entire cast, with Rudolph and Cullen being big highlights for me. Even though it tackles dark ideas, it does give the proceedings an edge that you don’t see often in family animated films. Though, if that is something you’re concerned about, directors Kris Pearn, Cory Evans, and Rob Lodermeier handle things with a light touch that is rich with humor, energy, and dazzling animation from start to finish. It’s a delight, and while it doesn’t necessarily stray too far from conventions, the work put into it is plenty reason enough to give it a watch.