November 7, 2026 – One thing everyone should know about this movie is that it is not for little kids. It starts off with a suicide and there are some intense battles, including one beheading. This is less like Narnia and more like Lord of the Rings in terms of drama and conflict. This is a very grownup movie.

Laika, the Portland, Oregon-based stop-motion animation studio that produced “Coraline,” “ParaNorman” and “Kubo and the Two Strings,” has stepped up its game with “Wildwood.” This is the kind of movie that challenges the best the Japanese animators can do, or anybody else, for that matter.

The opening of the movie (following a flashback scene) is set in Portland, Oregon, a place I used to call home in the distant past, and it was fun to see that. The scene quickly shifts to the nearby “Impassable Wilderness,” which is really an enchanted forest protected from human entry by a magic spell. An evil force lurks in the forest, who sends forth crows to spirit away a young boy named Mac.

Against the wishes of her parents, Prue McKeel had taken Mac outside to play. When the crows take Mac away, Prue follows them into the enchanted forest. Her friend, Curtis Mehlberg, is an unwilling passenger in a cart behind her bicycle, but he decides to stay brave the forest dangers. Curtis, a young geek, recognizes some events he encounters in the forest from the video games he likes to play.

As they travel deeper into the enchanted forest, Prue begins to uncover a secret bargain that began years before she was born, explaining why Mac was taken, and why she has the ability to get past the magic spells that stop other outsiders from entering the forest. In this forest, animals can talk. There is an entire civilization, featuring some 19th and 20th century technology.

Prue, Curtis and Mac have deadly enemies in this forest, but they also make friends, including a heroic rat. Eventually there is a brutal war. At stake is the life of Mac and the future of the entire enchanted forest. Prue and Curtis have to muster a lot of courage in order to do what is necessary to save Mac and the good folks of the forest against the evil machinations of the powerful dowager governess Alexandra.

This is an epic adventure with high drama. It is longer than most animated movies at over two hours, but that's because there is a lot going on in this story. The story is engaging and the imaginative art design is excellent. This should be in the running during awards season for the best animated movie. It rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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