A Fun Family Flick
Arlo the Alligator Boy is a fun family flick packed full of great music and some colourful animation. Despite a very simple story we’ve seen a million times before, Arlo sings and dances his way through this 90 minute feature to great effect. The story here wastes absolutely no time, setting the tone immediately for the movie to follow. Within this, a young humanoid alligator floats down a river, away from New York and straight into the swamps. There, he grows up forever wondering about his true parentage and if there’s something more for him out there. As Arlo grows up, he eventually sets his sights on the Big Apple, determined to reunite with his estranged Father and live happily ever after. Along for the ride are a whole host of colourful and diverse characters, including giantess Bertie, Tim the Tiny Teenie Man and cat-driver Alia. Making things more complicated are a couple of hillbillies, complete with heavy Southern drawls and a chip on their shoulders. They’re determined to bring Arlo back to the swamp and essentially show up just to give the movie some urgency. In reality, they’re incredibly disposable and don’t really add anything to the story. The movie itself is particularly colourful though and during the inevitable poignant moments, Arlo cleverly drains the colour out the following scenes to show a more muted shade of grey. It’s a subtle touch but one that shows how harmonious the aesthetic actually is with the story here. This harmoniousness transcends across to the songs too, which mostly have lyrical purpose within the storyline. There’s some real crackers in the playlist and the soundtrack is actually up on Spotify now too. While there’s nothing particularly challenging with Arlo the Alligator Boy, the movie does shine when it comes to its themes and the songs. This is a vibrant, lovely little animated feature, and the perfect companion piece to watch as a family this weekend before the kids head back to school.
