Ron's gone Wrong

Animated movies have always fascinated us for the way they describe our current society but also send us a vision of ourselves, of our childhood, of the importance of investing ourselves in what we do and of our roots. In a world where new technologies have taken over our lives and without which we are lost and left to our own devices, a film like Ron's Gone Wrong is just a treasure trove of inventiveness and a celebration of friendship and fighting for the good. The combination of 20th Century Animation and Locksmith Animation proves to be a winner here as this film benefits from the same care in the script as in the sumptuous animation that captures our attention from the very first minutes and never lets go. 

Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) is a socially awkward and lonely middle schooler who has no real friends left. His classmates at school all have a B*Bot and he is the only one without one. However, on his birthday, his father Graham (Ed Helms), an internet trinket seller, finally gives him his b*bot.  This normally digitally connected robot that walks and talks and is supposed to be his best friend out of the box turns out to have several major malfunctions. However, these will turn out to be a real gift and give birth to an unparalleled friendship and allow Barney to find his true friends. Barney and Ron will discover the true meaning of being yourself and making friends.

The many influences feeding (Ron's Gone Wrong) are clearly visible whether it is a well targeted caricature of the Apple company and its famous presentations but also of movies like E.T the alien, Gremlins, Star Wars, Marvel but also video games like Pac-man or Donkey Kong. Ron's Gone Wrong also reminds us of Wreck-It Ralph (2012) by the importance of new technologies in this film, but this is the first film produced by Locksmith Animation, a British animation studio created by Julie Lockhart and Sarah Smith. The result is a new breath of fresh air and a rather British humor that is always on target. 

The great care given to the animation is particularly noticeable in the beautiful scenes taking place in the forest where Barney and Ron are chased and find refuge. Directors Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith have found the perfect approach to portraying adolescence and the problems some students have in opening up to others and making new friends. The fact that Barney is the only student in his middle school without a b*bot isolates him even more from the other students who don't hesitate to reject him or even openly make fun of him and his poverty. It's impossible not to imagine in his childhood this same concern, especially when all the teenagers have a computer and you are the only one with parents who are reluctant to have a computer to do without. Until you manage to convince them as when Barney manages to show his father the importance of having a B*Bot. 

Ron's Gone Wrong also deals with the danger of social media and the fact that they can appear as a real drug to reach a maximum of likes and views to become popular. But this ephemeral fame often has harmful effects. The film also addresses the way in which big companies in the field of high technology do not shy away from anything to achieve their goals even if it means installing spies on some of their productions (we will think in particular of some connected products). By taking a fresh look at several themes, Ron's Gone Wrong stands out as one of the best animated films discovered recently. The striking ending also reminds us of the idea of sacrifice and of having to learn from one's mistakes to progress and become better.

While Hollywood animation studios largely dominate the world's production, Ron's Gone Wrong proves that a British studio is capable of creating great animated films on par with the latest productions from The Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios. Even if the action of the film takes place in the United States when it would have been interesting to set it in England, we can only salute the very promising beginnings of this new animation studio which has all the weapons in hand to become one of the greatest today.

Ron's Gone Wrong
Directed by Jean-Philippe Vine, Sarah Smith
Written by Peter Baynham, Sarah Smith, 
Produced by Lara Breay, Julie Lockhart
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Colman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Rob Delaney, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Marcus Scribner, Thomas Barbusca
Cinematography : David Peers, Hayley White
Edited by David Burrows, James Cooper,Sim Evan-Jones
Music by Henry Jackman
Production companies : 20th Century Animation, Locksmith Animation, DNEG
Distributed by 20th Century Studios
Release date : October 9, 2021 (LFF), October 15, 2021 (United Kingdom), October 20, 2021 (France), October 22, 2021 (United States)
Running time : 106 minutes

Seen on October 17, 2021 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 3 seat A19

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