Occasionally, however, a true passion project manages to sneak through the system, and when that passion project comes courtesy of a filmmaker like Brad Bird, it feels even more special. That’s precisely the case with “Ray Gunn,” Bird’s seventh film as a director and his fifth animated feature, following his triumphant return to the medium with 2018’s “Incredibles 2.”
While the film seems new, the origins of “Ray Gunn” stretch back a whopping 37 years, with Bird originally conceiving the film and co-writing the first draft of the screenplay with his “Batteries Not Included” collaborator Matthew Robbins around 1989, when “The Iron Giant” was released.
“Ray Gunn” takes place in an alternate future by way of the late 1930s, set in the seemingly gigantic city of Metropia. Raymond “Ray” Gunn (Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell) makes his living as a small-time private detective who tries to keep his head down as much as possible, helped in large part by his buddy and partner, the alien Eyera (Academy Award winner Tom Waits). Aliens are treated much like immigrants and minorities in this world, opening the door to themes of ethics, prejudice, and morality familiar from many vintage noir stories.
Things change when he gets a new client: pop and media star Venus Nova (Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson), who becomes entangled in a scandalous case that Gunn reluctantly takes on.
Along with references to classic genre films such as “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “The Maltese Falcon,” Bird and his collaborators also name-checked more recent influences, including Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” The end result blends animation, sharp comedic timing, moody noir, and eye-catching sci-fi into a thrilling trailer.
“Ray Gunn” will be streaming on Netflix December 18th.
