Sean Charmatz, an award-winning animator for profoundly influential films such as “Angry Bird 2” and “The Penguins of Madagascar,” returns to the animation industry as the director of “Orion and the Dark.”
The star voice actors for the movie include Jacob Tremblay, who has previously voiced iconic characters such as Luca from “Luca” (2021), who now voices Orion, and Paul Walter Hauser, an actor many may recognize from “Cruella” (2021), who voices Dark.
“Orion and the Dark” is based on the children’s book by the same name authored and illustrated by Emma Yarlett, but dives into so much more detail than someone could have imagined. Emma Yarlett returns as one of the writers for the film, alongside Charlie Kaufman and Lloyd Taylor, who has worked on movies such as “Nimona” (2023).
The most interesting change from the book is that the movie incorporates tons of new and interesting characters aside from just Dark. Characters such as Dream, Insomnia, Unexplained Noises, Quiet, and Sleep are all but a few of the characters the writers chose to add to the story.
The story itself starts out with Orion and his fear of various things in his life ranging from bullies and sheds to public speaking and most importantly, darkness. All of this changes when the dark embodies a physical form and shows him the wonders of darkness and the night, and what would happen if the dark didn’t exist. The various other characters such as Dream and Unexplained Noises help Orion realize the intricate balance of the night and eventually help him overcome his fear of darkness.
One of the more interesting and wholesome things about this movie adaptation is the multi-generational approach the story takes starting with Orion, then moving on to Orion’s future daughter, Hypatia, and ending with Orion’s future grandson Tycho. The kid-oriented movie teaches young audiences how to tackle their fears with courage and to see the beauty in the things that scare them. However, the movie is not just for young children, and I felt that the movie was much more powerful than I had expected for a children’s film and left me feeling better than I felt going into it. The ending was extremely well thought out and the cohesive conclusion uplifted my mood and gave me a sense of emotional satisfaction I hadn’t felt since I entered high school.
However, the movie isn’t without its flaws. My main concern with “Orion and the Dark” was the animation style that is eerily similar to “Veggie Tales.” There is just something about two mostly eyelid-less eyes practically touching one another, that makes the movie somewhat difficult to take seriously. But apart from that, everything else from the character design to the storyline and overarching message is exceptional and children around the world will most likely enjoy and learn from this movie.
Overall, I would rate the movie a 4/5.
