A sign reading 'Kraken' in big blue letters

Robyn Bell

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) is a coming-of-age story with a twist — think The Princess Diaries, if the New York teen protagonist was replaced with Krakens.

DreamWorks’ newest animation was released in the United States on June 30th, and the animated action-comedy film received mixed reviews. Nevertheless, its modern take on ancient mythology makes it one to watch for all the family.

THE FAMOUS VOICES BEHIND THE CHARACTERS

The protagonist, Ruby, is played by Netflix’s To All the Boys I Loved alumn, Lana Condor. She is a sweet yet awkward teenage kraken living in a seaside town. Ruby and her family, the Gillmans, live amongst humans, under the guise of blue-skinned Canadians. To everyone else, the Gillmans are a happy, normal family. No onlooker would guess that they ought not enter the water near their Oceanside home.

“Tentacles flying everywhere, combined with disputed claims to the Kraken throne, mean there is too much going on”

Toni Collette (Knives Out (2019) and The Power (2023)) plays Ruby’s real estate agent mum, Agatha. Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)) plays her fisherman father.

With prom coming up, Ruby is desperate to go. However, the prom is set to be held on a boat. An accident occurs and Ruby ends up in the ocean. As soon as she hits the water, she awakens magical powers and transforms into a giant kraken, granddaughter of the Queen of the Krakens (Jane Fonda).

The Queen pressures Ruby to forget being human and stay deep underwater, to take over the throne and protect the Kraken people.

RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE WHAT?

Hailing from Scandinavian folklore, the Kraken is usually depicted as an aggressive octopus or squid-like creature, capable of destroying ships and killing entire fleets. Because of this, they were widely feared and were cemented in mythology by Norwegian sailors and pirates in the 18th century. No ship could withstand the power of the Kraken.

The legendary tales of the Kraken are likely to be just that — tales. However, there was some truth behind these sailors’ sightings. Giant squid have long tentacles and can grow up to 40-50 feet long. They live deep in the sea but have been known to attack ships from time to time. So these sailors weren’t totally crazy, hey?

“Strong women transforming into supersized animals? Surprisingly, this is not new”

However, DreamWorks’ Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken deviates from these traditional tales of the Kraken, presenting a different side to the bloodthirsty sea creature in the minds of sailors. 

A TALE AS OLD AS TIME?

Strong women transforming into supersized animals? Although this new take on mythology might seem original, underneath it is a tale told one too many times. For example, in the recent Disney movie Turning Red (2022), the protagonist turns into a farcical giant red panda upon experiencing emotion.

Whilst the teenage angst and family drama of Ruby Gillman is universally relatable, other aspects feel too unfamiliar. Tentacles flying everywhere, combined with disputed claims to the Kraken throne, mean there is too much going on at times.

Overall, this is still a good family-friendly movie to watch that kids and adults alike will enjoy. Vibrant and fun, the movie has a spirited main character and an interesting concept. That being said, the movie contains some cliché tropes, including its final motto to always be true to yourself.

READ NEXT:

Featured image courtesy of Jeremy Thompson on Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Recent BA Journalism graduate from Edinburgh Napier University with a passion for film, tv, celebrities and podcasts!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *