Ray Gunn
Follows Raymund Gunn, the last human private detective, in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens. In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder, and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
Excerpt
Production-wise, the film is a marvel, though Bird is no stranger for his robust worlds. The fashion of Ray Gunn is impeccable; the music is perfection and the character design is fluid and compelling. The mix of retro ‘40s /‘50s style mixed with technology so modern it’s called “alien” is a really cool way to show how growth can be stunted without sharing knowledge.
Ray Gunn is on the Case
When thinking about private investigators many times images of philandering spouses and hours long stakeouts come to mind. But what if you were an old school private eye in a universe that’s part The Fifth Element (1997), part The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) and involved aliens and corrupt corporations? Well, you’d have pretty much the same images only they would look amazing and the drama would be out of this world! Brad Bird’s foray into the world of adult animation has gifted us one of the best animated features of the year. Ray Gunn (2026) is on the case and he’s going to get the job done!
Of course Bird’s iconic run of animated films has made him a reliable source of inventive entertainment. From the retro-futurism of The Incredibles (2004) to the Parisian charm of Ratatouille (2007), Brad Bird has a unique style all of his own and he’s able to weave it in new and exciting ways. Ray Gunn follows private gumshoe Ray (Sam Rockwell who starred in another unlikely animated hit, The Bad Guys (2025)) and his assistant Eye-Ra Kadok (Tom Waits) who just happens to be an alien with impressive snooping skills and bioimaging (the ability to take photos using his body).
Private detecting is a dying art in this world where information is made available readily. Whether to be sold (with or without the owner’s permission), or to be leveraged for even greater gain, it’s harder than ever to keep a secret in Metropia. Ray is as down on his luck as it can get, having his personal possessions repossessed as many at a time as the movers can get away with. He’s got one last ditch effort – the idyllic cabin his parents left him – and he’ll do anything to not have to resort to selling it.
After a job gone wrong almost costs him everything, nightclub owner Arnold Dom (Bobby Cannavale) approaches him. Arnold also has the distinction of being Mr. Venus Nova. Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson) the volatile singing diva whose personality is almost as big as her fame. She’s managed by Barry Vogel (Alan Tudyk) who hires Ray to look after Venus after an attempt on her life. Throughout the job we run into Francis Xavier aka Slugsy (Matthew Berry) a former thug turned club financier whose relationship to Venus is anyone’s guess. And we round out the main cast with Levity Love (Kether Donohue) who acts as Venus’s stand-in.
The film fires on all cylinders from the opening frame. The attention to world building is impeccable as we wiz by flying cars and rental jet packs. The dialogue is fresh and snappy and keeps the viewer interested throughout the runtime. In fact, the runtime is the only flaw which can often happen with animation over an hour and a half and Ray Gunn clocks in at 1:59. There are twists and turns but if you know anything of the genre, it’s pretty easy to figure it out early. When the audience knows the plot before the characters on screen, then the characters on screen need to make their discovery as interesting as possible. I think Ray Gunn succeeded in that with a myriad of fun chase and fight sequences. After a while though, we were just racing to the end waiting for the film to deliver on the final point. It’s a small gripe, and really didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the film.
A Film Full of Character(s)
Rockwell imbues Ray with a world weary sense of optimism. He knows things will work out because they have to. He accepts the world for what it is and tries to find his happiness within that. He cares for his friends yet he understands that if the world doesn’t, that just means he has to care more. Waits gives Eye-ra a lot of personality and makes him likable while giving him a hard scrabbled edge. Johansson gives a great performance though I admit to chuckling as she clearly does her own singing for the film. Some of you may remember when she hinted at a music career by releasing a cover of Tom Wait’s “Falling Down”. The reception was mixed, but soon after I started hearing less and less about her musically. She gives a great performance and her voice fits Venus Nova and many moods very well. Cannavale, Berry and Tudyk are all pitch perfect in their roles and it’s easy to get lost in their characters without the big names overshadowing the performances.
Production-wise, the film is a marvel, though Bird is no stranger for his robust worlds. The fashion of Ray Gunn is impeccable, especially the hats! The music is perfection and the character design is fluid and compelling. The mix of retro ‘40s and ‘50s style mixed with technology so modern it’s called “alien” is a really cool way to show how growth can be stunted without sharing knowledge.
Something to Say
Ray Gunn has a lot to say and it does it in a way that cleverly doesn’t draw too much focus from the main plot. In a planet inhabited by “aliens” (in this case, actual offworlders), the xenophobia is strong in many areas. There are hospitals that won’t cater to aliens and certain clubs aliens can’t breach. In the beginning one of the aliens comments about how they suppressed their other arms to only have two because it looks “more respectable, more human!” It’s not so subtle shade to the systems in control that force immigrants to assimilate with the undelivered promise of acceptance.
There’s also some very clever anti-AI commentary which is always a joy to see. One character chides, “you want art, without the artist!” and it’s a line that could be added to many modern situations. I mentioned Ray Gunn being an animated movie that’s made for adults. It even has a curse word! But it’s more that the themes are meant to make you think and be awed by the beautiful animation.
Overall, Ray Gunn is a fast-paced who-dunnit that will keep you engaged from start to finish. I highly recommend it.
Score: 7.5/10
Ray Gunn will premiere Sunday, 10/10 at the London Film Festival, then select theaters December 4th. It will stream on Netflix, December 18th.