The Willoughby (2020)

The Willoughby (2020)

4/10

Starring the voice of

Will Forte

Maya Rudolph

Alessia Cara

Directed by Kris Pearn

I did not like this animation. Mostly because the story idea that the animation was trying to pass across as different may have started different, but ended up being the same predictable set of story which was easy to guess.

I also did not enjoy the silly animation, it felt lazy. I get the idea was to make the animation look silly and wobbly as the characters were, but it did not play well for me.

Then there is the editing and some continuity lapse, leaving me wondering why the movie either left some loose threads untied, or just sloppy directing in some parts.

There is a scene where the orphan police, knew the nanny and then the complexity of Tim and his stand, seemed rushed. It was like the animation was longer, with more details to the nanny character and the editing was done too much, cutting all that out. That was not the only part, then there was the mother cutting the father’s mustache and the father acting funny, it felt there was more happening there and the movie just cut it out.

Well, the story is the Willoughby family were once popular for great things, from generation to generation, each one is know to have achieved something great and unique. This present generation though are different. This self absorbed pair of father and mother have four children, which they do not love nor care for. They starve them, lock them up and avoid them as much as they can. The eldest is Tim, who has taken it on himself to care for his siblings. His siblings are, the very confident and determined Jane. Plus the resourceful twins Barnaby. The parents could care less and named the two boys Barnaby so they share the same name.

One day a child was left at their door, when the children brought the child in – the parents went berserk. Tim took it upon himself to take care of the situation which led Jane to lead them outside the house to drop the child somewhere she believes the child will be cared for. That journey gave her an idea, she decided to send her parents away on a vacation.

They planed it well, what they did not plan was the Nanny who was sent to care for them.

How the Willoughbys handled this obstacle to their plan for freedom from their bad parents and how things turned out in the end for this children is what this movie is about.

I do not understand how this Netflix animation has good critical and audience rating, I guess there must be something I am missing. From my view this animation is a complete dud.