RON'S GONE WRONG

There are enough scenes that pop, either visually or emotionally, to enjoy this coming-of-age story more than you would perhaps assume.

If Ron's Gone Wrong seems curiously familiar to you, that probably is no coincidence.

The premise of malfunctioning personal electronic devices is very similar to the recent The Mitchells vs The Machines, the design of the device in question - quite funnily named Bubble Bot - borrows wholesale from Big Hero 6's Baymax, while several narrative segments and the looks of the lead character are clearly inspired by The Iron Giant.

Luckily the picture's derivative nature doesn't prevent it from telling an entertaining tale with fine animation and a theme about the nature of friendship that emotionally hits a lot of right notes.

Admittedly, like in so many American feature-length cartoons these days, there are too many instances where Ron's Gone Wrong feels like a movie made by committee instead of a fully realised personal vision, but there are enough scenes that pop, either visually or emotionally, to help you enjoy the coming-of-age story more than you would perhaps assume at first glance, making Ron's Gone Wrong a pleasant two-hour diversion.

release: 2021

director: Sarah Smith, Jean-Philippe Vine, Octavio E. Rodriguez

starring: Jack Dylan Glazer, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Olivia Colman