Premiering This Week: ‘Flora & Ulysses’
By Kurt Balingit
This Friday, February 19th, Disney+ is premiering ‘Flora & Ulysses’, a family superhero comedy film directed by Lena Khan, based on the children’s novel written by Kate DiCamillo with the same name. The film follows a 10-year-old comic book fan name Flora Buckman, played by Matilda Lawler, who saves the life of an injured squirrel she names Ulysses. While nursing the squirrel, Flora learns that Ulysses isn’t an ordinary squirrel, but one with super powers!
With Ulysses’ presence and super powers, Flora finds a much needed friend who is able to help her live her comic book fantasies. In favor, she protects him from Miller, an animal control officer, played by Danny Pudi, who wants to capture the super squirrel.
To make matters more complicated, Flora’s parents have recently separated. Her dad George, played by Ben Schwartz, is a struggling comic book creator who helps her protect Ulysses, while her mom Phyllis, played by Alyson Hannigan, is a romance novelist who wants her daughter to get her head out of the clouds and doesn’t want a squirrel living in her house.
Director Lena Khan wanted to make sure to that this family movie wasn’t just about usual family troubles. Khan said. “It was about people, what it’s like to be broken and jaded and how do you get out of that and get back up.” She also states
“I think the biggest thing in the movie is that when the world has beaten you down, it’s not about waiting for things to get fixed,” Khan said. “It’s about learning how to see the world differently and that it can be okay to hope. That’s the main thing which hopefully is key to some people during these crazy times.”
Although ‘Flora & Ulysses’ is only available on Disney+, this movie is sure to be another classic family film.