Thelma The Unicorn is a beautifully animated, super fun, new Netflix movie that is filled with important life lessons and catchy original music.
Thelma The Unicorn tells the story of a pony who wants nothing more than to become a famous musician so that the world can hear her music. Unfortunately for her, no one is interested in listenign to a bland pony. One day, after wishing to be a unicorn, something crazy happens. A truck carrying pink paint, glue, and glitter, crashes, spilling these things all over her. She already is wearing a carrot on her head so she now looks the part — and immediately starts pretending to be a unicorn.
She almost instantly deletes her social media and adapts this new personality, acting as if Thelma the pony had never existed. This is one of the most relatable parts of the film, especially for tweens, teens, and adults, as the online world can be cruel, and we all too often pretend to be something we are not, or at least hide parts of ourselves.
Thelma The Unicorn is completely unafraid to dive into themes surrounding learning your self worth, which is important for audiences of all ages to learn. Being yourself is the only way to be truly happy, which is something Thelma learns over time. It is great that these themes are being introduced to young children, and hopefully they are lessons that truly stick with them as they enter the ages of Middle School and High School, where things can get tough.
Based on the books by Aaron Blabey, Thelma The Unicorn introduces the idea that Thelma wishes to be a musician. In the books, she just wants to be a beautiful and glamorous unicorn. Because of this, there are lots of original songs placed throughout the film, which keeps it moving at a solid pace and makes it a lot of fun. These are catchy tunes, and coupled with the bizarre and unique characters throughout the movie, make Thelma The Unicorn unforgettable.
Each character seems to represent another genre and timeframe of music, adding ot the fun of it all. From 1970s, to boy band inspired pop, this movie has it all. This is part of what makes it appealing to adults as well as children. Thelma The Unicorn is a movie that viewers of all ages can enjoy, which is someting that Netflix animation has always excelled at.
There is a lot of great humor weaved in as well, although it does often cater to the younger audience, there are some squeezed in for adults that will go right over young one’s heads. Jared and Jerusha Hess are co-writers and known for their hilarious films such as Napoleon Dynamite and Gentlemen Broncos, so this should come as no surprise.
The animation is stunning and the cast is great. Talents like Will Forte, Jon Heder, Zach Galifianakis, Sherry Cola, Jemaine Clement, and Brittany Howard very clearly brought some of their own umph to sprinkle throughout and give their characters even more life than was on the page. The only real issue is that the pacing can sometimes slow, but that doesn’t last long.
Overall, Thelma The Unicorn is packed with catchy needledrops that are both original, heartfelt, and hilarious. The cast gives their all and the animation is absolutely beautiful. There are important lessons weaved throughout the film about finding your confidence, not worrying about what others think of you, and being yourself. A must watch for fans of animation and comedy.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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About Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamourous music star. In a pink and glitter-filled moment of fate, Thelma is transformed into a unicorn and instantly rises to global stardom. But this new life of fame comes at a cost. Thelma the Unicorn is a quirky, hilarious, and heartfelt ride from directors Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Lynn Wang (Unikitty!).
