Directed by Lena Khan (The Tiger Hunter), Disney+’s latest movie exclusive, Flora & Ulysses, is a delightfully silly family adventure that bridges the gap between modern superhero flicks, and the slapstick family films of yesteryear. Based on the Newberry Award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo (illustrated by K.G. Campbell), it tells the story of Flora (Matilda Lawler), a jaded young girl whose parents, Phyllis and George (Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz) have recently separated. After rescuing a red squirrel, whom she names Ulysses, she discovers the little critter has gained intelligence, superstrength, and the ability to fly.
It is a very odd film: Ulysses gains his powers after being sucked into an A.I.-controlled vacuum cleaner, and the outlandishness doesn’t stop there, as the squirrel’s antics lead to multiple scenes of over-the-top mayhem and destruction that resemble an old Herbie film. Ramping up the chaos is Flora’s friendship with a British boy named William (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who’s struggling with “hysterical blindness,” and Danny Pudi’s villainous animal control officer, who is frequently attacked by a psychotic gray cat — there’s a lot of physical humor involving tranquilizer darts, and Pudi and Schwartz really give them their all.
Thanks to the performances and practical effects, it’s actually quite funny, providing a genuine sugar rush at times. There’s plenty for adults to enjoy too, thanks to the older cast: Schwartz is so charming, you’ll wonder why he doesn’t have his own sitcom yet. Hannigan has to be the straight man to Schwartz, Lawler and Ulysses, but it’s not a thankless role, as she’s so sincere that you really empathize with her struggle to be a good mom.
Pudi and Kate Micucci both ham it up appropriately as the antagonists, especially Pudi, who gets to play against type by emphasizing his character’s “suave” nature. Not to be left out of this live-action DuckTales reunion, Bobby Moynihan has a couple of scenes as a moody comic book store owner (who’s seen reading a “DuckTales” comic no less.) Anna Deavere Smith is great as George’s neighbor, while Janeane Garofalo shows up for one scene, the incongruity of which is by itself amusing.
Of interest to comic book fans will be the motion comic-style opening, where Flora discusses her favorite Marvel heroes, as well as her father’s creations, like Incandesto (Darien Martin), who frequently appears in Flora’s imagination. They’re quirky insights into her emotional state, and alongside the additional motion comic sequences that propel the story along, are pleasantly diverting stylistic changes. There are also some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references to DC; a line from Avengers: Endgame that gets shamelessly repurposed; and a running gag about James Cameron’s Titanic, with a great pay-off that will leave kids confused as to why their parents are laughing so hard.
What’s strange (and not in a likable manner like Ulysses himself) is it’s established George’s failure to sell his superheroes to a publisher led to the separation of Flora’s parents. At no point are non-superhero comics ever brought up, and the notion a cartoonist would bet all-in on one genre feels dated. It’s also regressive in the era where Raina Telgemeier is the most popular comic book creator in the country, that Flora’s reading choices are either her father’s superhero floppies, or the prose books her mother wants her to read — you’d think someone her age would already be trying manga.
The only other real issue with the film is Flora’s narration, filled with musings about how the real world is not like a superhero comic, where everything always works out for the best: someone the same age as her will find her self-described cynicism relatable, but her thoughts will be too complicated for anyone younger, and adults will find them too simplistic — no offense to Lawler, who is excellent in the role, but many of the dramatic, coming-of-age beats in the film would’ve landed a lot harder if her character wasn’t talking over them.
That’s not an issue with Ulysses, who says a lot even though he’s unable to talk: despite his realistic character design, he is a wonderfully expressive character, avoiding the issues that The Lion King remake had — there’s no trade off here, just more of the excellent animation that made Disney’s name. If the company plays their cards right, he could be the next Baby Yoda — he is, after all, a superhero, and they’re not known for making one-off appearances. (The mangy gray cat is also an excellent, albeit much more stylized visual effect.)
Overall, Flora & Ulysses is a fun throwback to the offbeat, live-action family films Disney used to release regularly in theaters until the early 2000s. It’s more for the young and the young-at-heart than adults, but probably far more entertaining for grown-ups than those old films are now.
