Kyla C. reviews Orion and the Dark
5Get ready to face your fears in the best way possible when you watch Orion and the Dark! This animated film uses colorful animation, creative characters, and a fantastic story to express its important and uplifting theme. The film is made even more engaging by the fun, perky voiceovers.
Orion and the Dark follows Orion (Jacob Tremblay), a young boy who struggles with fears of many aspects of life. He keeps a journal of these fears, which include the fears of mosquito bites, falling off skyscrapers, bullies, and most prominently, his fear of the dark. One night, as he is hiding from the darkness with lights, The Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) shows up in his room. The Dark ends up being very nice and takes Orion on a 24 hour journey to bring the darkness of night around the world. Together, they face many challenges but ultimately work towards the final goal of getting Orion to overcome his fears.
Orion and the Dark’s animation brings the story to life with color and details. The colors of the characters and scenery not only make the screen appealing to look at, but also help to demonstrate the differences between the darkness and light, which are important to the plot. The little details in the characters and what they’re wearing also help to convey their personalities and who they are. The characters are creative and are a very important piece of the story. Each character that is an element of the night has their own colors, personality and voice that match their concept. For example, there’s Insomnia (Nat Faxon) and Quiet (Aparna Nancherla), two characters who are each responsible for their duties in the world of the night. They represent their concepts perfectly and also help raise awareness to younger kids about what these concepts are and if they might be experiencing them. If kids are dealing with insomnia, they will know what it is and know they aren’t alone. Or, if they hear noises while they’re sleeping, they’ll just think of Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel) and know that nothing scary is happening. These characters also work together to tell a wonderful story. The plot has the perfect pace for a kids movie, slow enough for them to follow the events of the story but fast enough to keep them engaged and entertained. There are so many different creative elements, such as the storytelling from Orion’s future self and his daughter. This aspect truly stands out as offering a whole new perspective on the film.
The message of Orion and the Dark is that the dark is just one of the many things people fear, and it’s important to know that everyone has fears and there’s always a way to overcome them. Through the relatable characters and engaging story, Orion and the Dark emphasizes this theme for all young viewers who may or may not be struggling with fears of their own.
I give Orion and the Dark 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 8. You can watch Orion and the Dark on Netflix beginning February 2, 2024, so grab your popcorn and get ready to face your fears!
https://youtu.be/OuAjT6aqQpg
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