Arlo the Alligator Boy + I ❤ Arlo reviews

Arlo the Alligator boy is a love letter to the history of 2D animation. The characters are pie-eyed, the plot is somewhat reminescent of things like Cats Don’t Dance where the protagonist goes to the city only to be disappointed and of course the musicals draw comparisions to the Disney Renaissance.

All of this is weaved through a narrative of acceptance for who you are. Not necessarily new stuff — again, can be found on many classics — but it owes it, because some of the character designs are gneuinely not beautiful by conventional standards (though they aren’t ugly outright). I do have to question a chubby woman being lumped with these freaks of nature, but I suppose that fits the message that everyone should be accepted.

A solid recommendation.

***

Following the classics-honouring classic of the film, I ❤Arlo has generally lower stakes. It is an episodic series until the last few episodes (won’t spoil that) with the gang having lowkey adventures or welcoming new residents to their town. There is a continuation of the film’s acceptance message, but it is admitely less of the focus this time around.

This is not bad per se, but it does make the series feel more like fanfic of the movie. I’m not saying it requires higher stakes, but it can feel a bit reduced if you experienced the movie first.

There’s also shipping that doesn’t really go anywhere, but oh well.

A recommendation.