Flora & Ulysses – A Cute But Forgettable Family Feature (Early Review)

Live action Disney family films are a well-oiled machine that produces more or less the same product on a consistent basis. Suffice it to say that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it as they continue to find success in spite of that. The studio certainly knows their audience and they can definitely push the right buttons. Flora and Ulysses is yet another live action Disney film, foregoing a theatrical release in favor of their Disney+ streaming platform. Boasting an arguably ridiculous yet derivative story that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to older viewers, the film is sure to nonetheless hit the right spot with younger viewers. That being said, sometimes that’s good enough. If ever parents want some time to themselves, the film serves as a worthy 90+ minute distraction. It just won’t be a memorable one as it lacks the impact to give it any staying power as soon as the credits stop rolling. It will merely get lost in the shuffle and meld with the many similar films available on the platform.

Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo, Flora and Ulysses is pretty self-explanatory as it tells the story of a young girl named Flora (Lawler) and a very special squirrel named Ulysses. Ulysses was unlike any squirrel as it was blessed with superpowers. Coming from a childhood inspired by superheroes thanks to her aspiring comic book writer father George (Schwartz), she was enamored by that world as it served as a refuge for her and a distraction from her unfortunate reality. With separated parents, she was living with her romance author mother Phyllis (Hannigan) who had lost her spark following her separation and was desperate to find her next hit. The family financial situation was an unstable one as they were mostly supported by George’s modest job. It was by chance that Flora stumbled onto Ulysses but after saving his life, the rest was history as the two became close friends. Convinced that Ulysses had superpowers, she was determined to discover his purpose and true potential, essentially playing out his so called origin story.

Any time a new pet is introduced to a household, there were some growing pains while Ulysses wasn’t necessarily welcome. The resulting hijinks were entirely predictable, propelled by the “cuteness” of the squirrel. For some, that will likely be enough but that schtick gets old and is not quite enough to distract from the thinness of the rest of the story and characters. Luckily for Flora, she wasn’t alone as her neighbor’s blind nephew William (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) was along for the ride. To those who are wondering, the answer is yes. In the end, whether or not Ulysses actually had superpowers, that wasn’t the point as his purpose went far beyond that. Being the kind of film it is, the ending was also a predictable one though is sure to elicit some emotion. However, the impact wasn’t quite there as Flora and Ulysses is yet another film that uses emotional manipulation and light melodrama to try and earn an emotional ending. At the end of the day, it was never going to be the deepest film but it certainly could have done a little more.

The best part of Flora and Ulysses was the CGI work on Ulysses. The film was obviously not going to use a real squirrel but the level of detail in the character model and character animation gave him plenty of personality and delivered cuteness. Meanwhile. the other CGI animals left much to be desired. Despite the mediocre material, the performances were still okay across the board. Relative newcomer Lawler was a compelling lead as Flora, bringing infectious energy and youthful enthusiasm to the role. Schwartz and Hannigan as Flora’s parents George and Phyllis each did their best with what they had. It was just nice to see Schwartz get to show off on screen rather than predictably voicing Ulysses (who wasn’t voiced). His chemistry with Lawler made for a fun dynamic to watch.

While Flora and Ulysses is pretty much more of the same for better or worse, it is still well worth the watch.

still courtesy of Disney

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.