Nimona

Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Year Released: 2023
Rating: 2.0

In some retro-futuristic scenario with a mix of the Medieval and the modern (cell phones!), Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed) "accidentally" kills the Queen and has to go into hiding, which is where he meets shapeshifting outcast Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) who volunteers to be his "sidekick" ... and they both have to evade the dogged pursuit of his former lover Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang).  It's based off of the graphic novel by ND Stevenson and checks off all the progressive Netflix requirements (in this particular case, it pertains to LGBTQ+ rights) and also tries desperately to appeal to Gen Z, since Nimona is smug, obnoxious and irritatingly self-righteous (her ability to change form is a visual metaphor for "gender fluidity").  But if you can look past the not-so-subtle agenda pushing, the animation (by DNEG) is crisp and Nimona's morphing (from gorilla to whale to ... giant demon?) is super smooth.  General question: if parents in the state of Florida allow their children to watch this, do they get sent immediately to jail?