This Ray Gunn review was made possible by Popped attending a Press and Industry screening for Ray Gunn at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.
In the retro-futuristic city of Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, old-school private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). What follows is a high-stakes, noir-inspired mystery full of tech, agendas and one-or-two not-so-subtle commentaries from director Brad Bird.
Welcome To Metropia
Described as a 35-year passion project, Ray Gunn offers an exciting look into the retro-futuristic world of Metropia, a city of the future, with flying cars, rocket-powered elevators, holograms for advertisements, jetpacks and new-age technology you couldn’t even dream of, something Bird is no stranger to. Accompanying it is Michael Giacchino, another synonymous counterpart with Bird, with this being their sixth feature collaboration. From the moment the film starts, Giacchino’s score amplifies the retro-futuristic neo-noir crime narrative unfolding, offering themes of enigma, exploration and daring adventure. It’s this sort of world that I’d love to see explored again in a sequel, though the film’s final act points to a definitive, happy (?) ending, and I don’t see one happening, though it would be hard to say no to another retro-futuristic murder mystery.
Metropia is easily the film’s biggest strength. There are some similarities to Coruscant from the Star Wars prequels, particularly with the flying cars moving in formation across the city. One sequence involving a flying police car chase practically screams Attack of the Clones, though Metropia still manages to establish its own identity. The world feels enormous, with so much happening in the background that it’s difficult not to imagine what other stories could unfold within it, and Bird’s coverage only scratches the surface of what more time in Metropia could offer, almost teasing us with something just out of our reach.
A Stellar Voice Cast
Sam Rockwell has had many faces, though Raymond Gunn feels like a perfect amalgamation of previous roles. The charm, confidence and occasional eccentricity that Rockwell has brought to characters throughout his career are all present here, though Gunn is far from the most successful detective in Metropia. Rockwell gives him enough personality to make his misfortunes entertaining, whilst still allowing for emotional moments. It’s an excellent performance, supported by an equally impressive supporting voice cast.
Tom Waits provides the voice of Eyera, Gunn’s green, one-eyed elder alien sidekick, who accompanies the detective and sticks by him as the pair face tough times in the decline of private investigator work. The film offers the reality of “ethical investigation”, leading the pair to disappointment, repossession and just outright unluckiness. Waits’ voice is gravelly, raspy, but perfect for the character of Eyera, a standout counterpart to Rockwell’s Gunn, but never steals the spotlight, instead giving both the chance to shine. Their chemistry is one of the film’s strongest elements, with a genuine friendship between them which makes their relationship much more than simply a detective and his sidekick.
Scarlett Johansson lends her voice talent as Venus Nova, not just for the character’s voice, but also offers three vocal performances of songs written exclusively for the film. A very welcome decision for the film, making it that bit more illicit and exciting. Johansson is excellent as the mysterious multimedia star, bringing a seductive and elusive presence to the character, which fits perfectly within the film’s noir-inspired setting. Her chemistry with Rockwell is another highlight, with the relationship between Gunn and Venus becoming increasingly important as the mystery unfolds. The original songs are excellent too, with an Oscar nom looming for one, I am sure.
The supporting cast also deserves a mention; Matt Berry lends his vocal talents as Francis “Slugsy” Xavier, an alien mob boss who finds himself at the centre of the film’s mystery. Berry’s voice is unrecognisable at times, with some fantastic characterisation as he embodies the slimy, vile, mucky antagonist. He’s clearly having a lot of fun here. Elsewhere, there is Kathryn Hunter, who makes an impression despite her relatively brief appearance towards the start of the film. Bird himself also provides the voices of Gunsol and Musker, two of Xavier’s alien henchmen, who deliver some amusing moments throughout. The smaller of the two, reminded me of the silliness and quirky side of Edna Mode, very chaotic.
A Mystery With Something To Say
One of the film’s messages looks at privacy in the digital age. Whilst it plays out in the background of the narrative, it is definitely worth shining a light on. Scenes throughout feature holo-ads, a new technology which features targeted advertisements relevant to the people, time and place, with Bird drawing some obvious parallels to the increasingly invasive nature of modern advertising. It’s particularly interesting considering the film’s 1939-inspired setting, with technology imagined from the perspective of the past reflecting some very real concerns about the present. I do wish Bird had explored these ideas even further, especially when there is so much story potential there, especially with where current tech is headed.
Another particularly relevant element is the treatment of aliens within Metropia. Humans and aliens might live alongside one another, but there is an obvious divide between them, with certain spaces remaining segregated, including hospitals. Many of the city’s manual labourers are also aliens, a social hierarchy which feels disturbingly familiar. Bird doesn’t make this the sole focus of the film, instead allowing much of the commentary to exist through the world-building, though it adds another layer to Metropia beyond its impressive visuals. Yet another thing Bird should have dived deeper into.
The film is very funny, which I didn’t expect from Bird. Sure, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Tomorrowland had their jokes, but nothing prepares you for the physical comedy throughout some sequences in the film. One set piece, involving one of the jet-powered elevators, sees Gunn and Slugsy’s henchmen involved with some shape-shifting technology, with a platter of visual gags, and all three ending up in quite the squeeze. The film’s violence is nothing intimidating, somewhat toned down, which makes for the set pieces to be entertaining, especially in the latter scene’s case.
Ray Gunn follows a fairly simple, easy-to-follow sequential narrative, which holds the mystery back at times. Early on, certain clues are too obvious, making one of the film’s biggest reveals relatively easy to work out, though it doesn’t entirely take away from the enjoyment of the investigation. My biggest issue is that the mystery never feels quite as ambitious as the world surrounding it. For a film marketed around its detective story, there are surprisingly few suspects and even fewer red herrings, leaving little room for the audience to question what they’ve already been told. The plot can feel repetitive too: a set piece happens, a piece of information is revealed, then our protagonist moves on to the next, and so on. Compared to recent mysteries like the Knives Out trilogy, this is fairly vanilla.
One final concern I have with Ray Gunn is that I’m not entirely sure who the film is for. Animation as a medium is still frequently dismissed as something aimed primarily at children, yet Ray Gunn certainly isn’t a children’s film, nor does it feel particularly targeted towards teenagers. Its neo-noir narrative, mature themes and old-fashioned detective story lean towards an older audience, one that might ordinarily overlook the film simply because it’s animated. With the film heading to Netflix, I worry that it could struggle to find its audience, especially when so many viewers are still reluctant to look beyond the medium itself. It’s a shame, because Bird has created something that deserves to be seen, even if its intended audience is difficult to pin down.
Thankfully, the final act is incredibly satisfying, bringing the various threads of the narrative together and providing a genuinely happy conclusion. Even with some of the film’s reveals being fairly predictable, Bird still manages to make the ending work, with earlier elements of the story returning in some clever ways. It left me feeling positive about the experience overall, even if I had hoped for a more intricate journey to get there.
‘Ray Gunn’ Review – Final Thoughts
After more than three decades in development, Brad Bird has delivered a visually spectacular, wonderfully imaginative sci-fi noir adventure with Ray Gunn. Metropia is easily the star of the show, brought to life through some strong animation, Michael Giacchino’s excellent score and an outstanding voice cast led by Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. Whilst the central mystery lacks the scale and unpredictability that its expansive world deserves, Bird more than makes up for it with inventive action, comedy and surprisingly relevant social commentary. Ray Gunn might not be among Bird’s very best films, but it’s an absolute visual delight, bursting with personality and imagination, and a reminder of just how exciting original animated storytelling can be. I would happily return to Metropia for another adventure.
Ray Gunn is set to release theatrically on December 4, before releasing on Netflix on December 18. Check out a trailer below:
