Slumberland

I saw two films that debuted today on streaming. The first of them is Slumberland, based on cartoon pioneer Winsor McCay's comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland. It was previously adapted as an anime film in 1989 (1992 stateside), but this is the first live-action take on the century-old strip. Is this a good introduction to the classic story? Maybe.

Little Nemo (Marlow Barkley) and her dad Peter (Kyle Chandler) live alone in a lighthouse. He always tells her tales of his time in the magical Slumberland with the roguish Flip. One night, Peter leaves to aid a troubled ship and never returns. Her boring uncle Phillip (Chris O'Dowd), a rich doorknob salesman, takes her in. He has no idea how to raise a kid and Nemo has no idea how to live in modern society.

Nemo eventually meets Flip (Jason Mamoa) in her dreams. He wants to find magic wishing pearls in the appealingly named Sea of Nightmares. Nemo agrees, hoping to get her dad back. They have a map that lets them dream-hop through Slumberland. All the while, they find themselves pursued by a nightmare squid and the harried Dream Cop Agent Green (Weruche Opia). Meanwhile, Nemo has to resolve her real-world problems.

Director Francis Lawrence and his writers, David Guio and Michael Handelman, create a fairly decent family film. They wisely bypassed some of the strip's most-dated aspects (Imp's design won't fly today). Their story includes some legitimate surprises, some of which involve a few dreamers Nemo and Flip meet in Slumberland. It's also a tad overlong at 117 minutes, but the twist involving Philip and the climax, makes this Netflix session worth it.

Now for the characters. Peter's living time is short, but it sells his and Nemo's bond perfectly. You'll feel it for Nemo when Peter is lost. You'll naturally side with her as she goes on her dream quest. It's a compelling quest all the way through. Philip seemed like a one-note dullard until the mid-film twist. He spectacularly rises to the challenge of dad-hood in the climax. Mamoa plays Flip as an expy of Beetlejuice. It's still a bit entertaining, though. Agent Green was OK, as is India De Beaufort as Nemo's school counselor.

The strongest technical star is production designer Dominic Watkins. He visualizes such impressive places as Nemo's lighthouse and the many realms of Slumberland. One of Slumberland's best locales is a glass city whose occupants are a garbage truck and its surprising driver. The sky there looks like an actual painting almost comparable to the matte painting cities of Dick Tracy. Slumberland shifting around to different locales is an impressive feat of visual effects. A few more impressive effects include its version of the strip's walking bed, a few touchups to Flips' getup and Nemo's pig toy sidekick, Pig. Flip's dazzling wardrobe was among many designed by costume designer Trish Summerville. It not only looks good but sounds good with Pinar Toprak's score too.

My strongest familiarity with the strip comes from the anime film and a few panels highlighting McCay's stunning artwork. So, I'm not annoyed with any liberties taken with Slumberland. Its visual style is sure to entertain kids for an afternoon. Its clever twists save it from being as forgettable as the average dream. I think this is a good family home matinee. Maybe the length won't be an issue for you.