‘Entergalactic’ Review – A Vibrant ‘Meet Cute’

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Scenes drenched in a thousand shades of neon colors could either give viewers a headache, or be delightfully charming. Fortunately, the palette of 2022 animated movie ‘Entergalactic’ falls in the latter category. While I began streaming it on my phone, within the first few seconds my inner voice went – “nope, this needs to be seen on a bigger screen”.

Created by Kid Cudi AKA Scott Mescudi, Kenya Barris, this dreamy yet typical romance is directed by Fletcher Moules. Kid Cudi lends his voice to protagonist Jabari, who is starting afresh as a comic-book artist with a new ‘bachelor pad’ in Manhattan. While he isn’t looking for a relationship, it’s almost love at first sight when he meets his gorgeous neighbor Meadow (Jessica Williams), a photographer.

‘Entergalactic’ is a beautiful burst of colors, painting New York in bright vibrant tones. The artwork has a glossy pastel-crayon like touch to it and despite the animation being on the simpler side, it’s a visual treat. Kid Cudi’s new album (same name) serves as icing on the cake, it’s a groovy delight that has been tailored for the movie. An ensemble voice-cast features through the runtime, Vanessa Hudgens, Timothy Chalamet, Laura Harrier, Macaulay Culkin, Jaden Smith, Ty Dolla Sign and a host of other artists play friends/acquaintances to lead couple Jabari and Meadow. There’s a good balance between the male and female gaze… while Jabari and the boys talk women, Meadow and her best-friend Karina debate how to deal with the men in their lives.

Had this been an live-action adaptation, it might not have been half as charming, for it’s the art, music, colors that make ‘Entergalactic’ pass the ‘vibe check’. The animation style changes a few times, especially when a character is narrating an anecdote while doling out relationship advice to either of the protagonist. For example, there was a fun manga-style animation sequence when Karina recalls a first date at a Feudal-Japan themed restaurant. Then there’s a video-game like nightmare sequence, where everything goes black-and-white, except for Jabari’s red hoodie, offering a stark visual contrast against the rest of the film. These little stylistic variations keep things engaging and entertaining.

Jabari and Meadow have a simple love story and even though the climactic conflict was slightly stereotypical, ‘Entergalactic’ never gets too dramatic or serious and ends on a sweet note.

It’s a 8/10 from me.