RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN

When Ruby jumps into the sea during an accident, she discovers the gills she has been inexplicably hiding without question actually serve a purpose... she's a kraken! A teenage kraken, if you will. Pixar's tried and tested 'Turning Red' beats have been quickly scrawled on hand with a ballpoint pen that has since gotten wet and very smudged – listed out methodically as Ruby rampages through town as a giant panda (kraken) and has a loving yet conflicted relationship with her mother, Agatha (Toni Collette, 'Knives Out') who is also a giant panda (kraken) with mummy issues. Except in this case, the lore behind her kraken-ness has to do with a royal bloodline that has been hidden from her. Grandmamah (Jane Fonda, 'Book Club' franchise, Netflix's 'Grace and Frankie') is keen for Ruby to take her place in royalty, but Ruby is not too sure.

As she grapples with her kraken coming-of-age, the popular new girl at school, Chelsea Van Der Zee (Annie Murphy, TV's 'Schitt's Creek') shows an interest in seawater and a newfound friendship with Ruby. As their stories intertwine and lead up to a big fight over a magic trident, Ruby discovers who she is and reconnects with her family.

'Ruby Gillman's' strongest asset is its voice-cast, with the affable Lana Condor handling Ruby's teenage coming-of-age with equal angst and awkward enthusiasm and Annie Murphy playing the most fashionable and cool mermaid, Chelsea. The film also plays with a sweet message of self-acceptance and, combined with its saturated colour palette and glowing visuals imagined by director Kirk DeMicco ('The Croods', 'Vivo') and his crew, will surely keep primary-aged kids on an excursion entertained just enough for its 90-minute runtime. However, 'Ruby' fails to bring to the table a fresh enough catch to cement itself into a memorable movie in the DreamWorks Animations hall of children's classics.