Animation is Film 2021: Nahuel and the Magic Book
animation is film 2021One of the best parts of the recent global animation boom is having the ability for quality animated features to be made from perspectives all around the world. The animated world of film continues to grow more and more, allowing for films like Nahuel and the Magic Book to be made. A Chilean animated feature, Nahuel and the Magic Book follows a young boy named Nahuel (Consuelo Pizarro) who steals a magical book and becomes the target of an evil sorcerer who wants the book for himself.
While clearly meant for younger audiences, Nahuel and the Magic Book is genuinely one of the most fun and charming films of the year. From every character that Nahuel meets on his journey to the arc he faces as a character, there is something incredibly genuine to the film that almost feels comparable to a project like Steven Universe. One way would simply be how fun the world is to be in. Introduced as a rather normal setting, only for both the audience and Nahuel to find himself, out of nowhere, surrounded by evil crow sorcerers, talking dogs, and friendly witches; the world of the film is simple enough to understand but is captivating enough to feel like a fun adventure. The world also just feels lived in. As characters are introduced, it feels like there is a history and depth to the world that makes it feel almost real, at least more so than some other films with similar settings.
It helps that the animation is perfect for this type of film. While the character design and simpler approach to things like linework and shading might be more associated with tv animation, its simplicity and warming nature are exactly the same energy that the film itself holds making it a perfect match. Nahuel and the Magic Book might have its darker and more serious moments, specifically when the sorcerer after Nahel kidnaps his father, but it also has the ability for one to lose themselves in the story and simply enjoy. It is the flawless mixture of light fun and captivating stakes that so many projects struggle to find, yet within Nahuel and the Magic Book, it just feels flawless.
A lot of this comes from the characters. Nahuel as a protagonist feels impossible not to like. From the charming performance given to him by Consuelo Pizarro to the purity of the character who, even in the worst of his decisions, is just trying to do the right thing, this character feels perfect for both younger audience members to relate to and for older audiences to cheer for. The side characters that join Nahuel over the course of the film are also really likable while the villains are genuinely quite haunting while still fitting into the context of the world around them.
If there is one thing to pick at, it would be its more simple nature. It is hard to see even younger audience members find something super fresh within the film when it comes to thesis, but ultimately the package in which this message is delivered is so charming and engaging that it fails to register as a problem. Nahuel and the Magic Book is not trying to be some deep piece of adult animation and isn't trying to be something revolutionary but, instead, is trying to be simply a charming and rewarding viewing experience for what it is. In that, it clearly succeeds. It feels like most who feel disappointed by the film probably brought the wrong expectations to the project, as it never tries to lie about its identity and never claims to be more than it is.
Nahuel and the Magic Book might not be the best film of the year, but is clearly a bright spot in it. Endlessly charming and watchable, there is almost a Studio Ghibli magic found within the project, specifically with how interesting its world is and how likable its characters are. Simply put, Nahuel and the Magic Book is a good time and one can hope it finds the audience it deserves.
