By Connie Lee July 17, 2024
Freddy Lupin is back for another howling wild time in 200% Wolf. This sequel follows the 2020 film, 100% Wolf, based on the book series by Jane Lyons and proves to be almost as rough around the edges as the original. Despite some improvements and it being well-intentioned and heartfelt with the right themes about overcoming fears and being yourself to appeal to kids and adults alike, 200% Wolf heavily relies on predictability and agreeability, resulting in it feeling generic like the first film.
Summary
Feisty and heroic teen poodle Freddy Lupin (Ilai Swindells) returns in 200% Wolf for more hairy adventures. Wanting more respect and power from his elders, Freddy makes a wish to transform into a werewolf. He soon learns to be careful about what he asks for when he’s granted his wish and a pesky baby moon spirit finds its way to Earth. With the help of Batty (Samara Weaving), a dangerous sorceress, and other canine pals, Freddy sets off to help get the moon spirit home safely and restore order on Earth before it’s too late.
Review
The real disservice with 200% Wolf is that the real fun doesn’t start until about the 25 to 30-minute mark, putting it at risk of losing viewers early on. Even with the action, the first half hour feels a bit slow, disjointed, and forced. It’s hard to connect with the characters and get a feel of where the story will go or how high the stakes will be. After this, it’s as if the film has been brought back to life with a defibrillator. Though there are still unclear and hard-to-follow story points that never get solved, the energy is ramped up, the jokes land better, and the heartfelt moments are extra sweet. The problem is that even with these improvements, the weaknesses from the first half hour may be unforgivable depending on who’s watching.
It’s Swindell's and Weaving’s voice talents that carry this film. Weaving’s tone and comedic timing are perfect, along with Swindell's overly confident kookiness as Freddy, giving more life to the primarily mundane script. In fact, they unintentionally stand out more than the baby moon spirit, who was obviously supposed to take center stage. Together, they make some of the cheesiest lines feel less grating and help drive the most impactful moments home. In fact, they unintentionally stand out.
The graphics and animations are worth sticking around until the end. Compared to the 2020 film, they’ve been totally levelled up. More risk was taken with the colours and designs, combining entirely different patterns and textures with both darker and brighter colours, creating a dreamy vibrancy, spookiness, and depth that was desperately missing from the predecessor. And mixed with the smoother, confident movements, this version of the wolfish world is much more enjoyable this time around.
200% Wolf is just a fine children’s film, nothing more or less. It’s far from being a hit, but it still has enough spunk to make for a fun family movie event. If anything, with the story being built around fantastical creatures and a darker world, this would be good for parents to show their younger kids as Halloween approaches. They can still get all the thrill of werewolves and the supernatural but with loveable themes instead of horror and gore.
Star Rating
200% Wolf releases in cinemas September 20
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