From its Ghibli-esque tale of environmentalism to its unmistakably French art style, Arco is a colorful swirl of influences so potent that it honestly surprised me it wasn’t based on a graphic novel. It’s a film that manages to take the speculations of the future and coat them in a stylish sheen of hope that rarely feels too heavy-handed or artificial. More importantly, it makes kids feel like heroes in a tale with real stakes, rather than in sugar-coated adventures in softened realms.

There are two futures showcased in the film. In the year 2932, the ten-year-old Arco lives with his family in a towering utopia of tech so advanced that flight and time travel are possible with a mere cloak and jewel. Eager to prove himself, Arco takes flight against his parents’ wishes and accidentally travels back to 2075. Far less ideal, this futuristic depiction of Earth is rife with climate-change catastrophes, forcing humans into protective bubble domes to escape annual hurricanes and wildfires. Crash-landing in this timeline, Arco befriends the creative Iris, a girl who feels abandoned by her parents, who are always working, and who is replaced by a robot caretaker that adopts both of their voices (Mark Ruffalo and Natalie Portman). While intrigued by Arco’s time-traveling flight tech, Iris commits herself to ensuring Arco gets back to his parents, no matter what forces conspire against her.

The scenes between Arco and Iris are rather adorable in how they speak so openly about their lives. There’s plenty of time amid their test flights to get to know each other and explore their more interesting quirks. One such trait is Arco’s keen ability to communicate directly with birds through whistles, as though it were just another language to learn. While this type of relationship is fairly common for sci-fi time-travel movies, there’s an added appeal in how both protagonists exist in a future, making the audience feel more like a third friend instead of the one smirking at all the missteps of future folk in our own time. The cyclical nature of inspiration and time also feels appropriate, given how the film conjured memories of another French animated film, The Time Masters.

Where the Ghibli inspiration is more apparent is in the bumbling pursuers of a conspiracy group, wearing absurd sunglasses. The comical trio of Dougie (Will Ferrell), Stewie (Andy Samberg), and Frankie (Flea) is a lot of fun for their foolish banter, superb stalking skills, and emotional investment in the time-traveler they seek. They add much-needed comic relief to a film that could easily become too sentimental with generational messaging or too gentle in its portrayal of young friendship. Another Ghibli avenue is the favoring of Iris’s robot, Mikki, as an example of technology’s failings and of humanity’s absent heart. While Mikki might malfunction and get Iris in trouble while trying to identify Arco, the robot was also built for Iris and her baby sibling’s care, showing how tech is only as good as those who use it. This film makes you care about the metallic nanny in a way that doesn’t try too hard or come off as hokey.

The animation is a lush showcase of charm, as colorfully compelling as Arco’s technicolor time cloak, without ever feeling too soft, especially in the dangerous scenes of Arco and Iris escaping a deadly fire. I also admired the world-building, told more through visuals that never slow down the story and always make these futures more intriguing. Early in the film, Iris’s classroom is revealed to be more like a holodeck with digital visuals covering the entire room. Later, she and Arco will escape the pursuing robots in this school, darting between classrooms with wildly different environments. This devotion to visuals keeps the film eye-popping enough to overlook the telegraphed third-act twist and a few missed opportunities to do more with this colorful visitor from the way-future.

Arco is an animated film that is loaded with enough heart and vibrancy, ideal for young audiences who want something more serious than softened sci-fi. It’s a good sign when a film makes you want to spend more time in its world for the brisk 89 minutes you’re allowed. I wanted to see more of what Arco and Iris would do as the next generation of children bound by breakthrough technology in a manner that felt more genuine than propaganda for tech colleges. Could it have punched harder with the direness? Sure. There is something concerning about how the kids just accept massive storms and charred woodland as a part of day-to-day life. The film doesn’t entirely shy away from these concerns, but it does offer a hopeful future rooted in genuine love and intricate detail. Let the kids have their flight cloaks and time-travel jewels!

Not available on any streaming platforms.

Source: