Rumble, the pro wrestling animated film that features WWE superstars Roman Reigns and Becky Lynch as part of the voice cast, has been bumped around the release calendar since before Reigns became the “Head of the Table.” First announced back in 2015, the film was originally given a July 2020 date, but has moved around multiple times, most recently to February 18th 2022. That was to be in theaters, but a new trailer confirms not only a new date, but also an exclusive streaming debut on Paramount+.
Rather than opening in 2022, Rumble will now hit Paramount+ this year on December 15th. The film takes place in a future where professional wrestling features giant monsters as its superstars. Geraldine Viswanathan voices Winnie, a human girl with a dream of following in her father’s footsteps by managing a lovable underdog monster named Steve, voiced by Will Arnett.
Others in the voice cast include Ben Schwartz, Terry Crews, Charles Barkley, Tony Danza, Fred Melamed, Bridget Everett, Stephen A. Smith, and Michael Buffer.
Rumble is directed and co-written by Hamish Grieve, best known for his work on the terrific Rise of the Guardians.
Nikolas’s mother always told stories of an elf village, Elfhelm, that existed far north. In the stories she laid out the path to get there. While Joel embarks on the multi month expedition, he leaves Nikolas under the watchful eye of Aunt Carlotta (Kristen Wiig). Carlotta is horrible to Nikolas prompting him to try and find Elfhelm on his own. With the companionship of his talking pet mouse Miika (voiced by Stephen Merchant) and reindeer Blitzen, he sets out. Nikolas is shocked to find that Elfhelm is not the happy place from his mother’s stories. Mother Vodal (Sally Hawkins) is now in charge and she’s cast a dark spirit over the once joyful land. Nikolas quickly realizes that he not only needs to bring hope back to the kingdom, but Elfhelm as well.
A Boy Called Christmas is directed by Gil Kenan who also wrote the screenplay with Ol Parker. The film is based on Matt Haig’s book of the same name. In the same vein of timeless classics, A Boy Called Christmas is set up as a story being told to children. Aunt Ruth (Maggie Smith) is babysitting her niece and nephews on Christmas Eve when their father is called into work. Their family has gone through a tragedy, losing their mother, and have lost their Christmas spirit. She tells them this story to try and restore their hope, just as Nikolas does in the tale.
A Boy Called Christmas has all the ingredients to make a successful Christmas movie. The music that is full of whimsy and bells with a touch of magic – check. The morals and lessons to keep with you and the themes of love, hope, family, and redemption – check. The bright colors and decorations and of course toys – check. Throw in a different kind of Santa and some elf and reindeer representation to boot. Kenan and Parker cleverly tie in little aspects of the Santa we all know throughout A Boy Called Christmas. From the origin of his hat, to good ole Blitzen, there are little touching additions. They add some comfort and enjoyment to the film that is already chock-full of both. Kenan and Parker also managed to do so in a secular way, focusing on the aspects of Christmas that can be enjoyed by all.
Creating a memorable Christmas movie is no easy feat, but one that Kenan & co. have managed to accomplish. The unique take on Christmas offered by A Boy Called Christmas is refreshing and the film has staying power. The script not only features numerous memorable lines and lessons, but touching moments and plenty of humor. Some of the humor is in your face, but there are a good deal of subtle lines and jokes that do not go overlooked. Merchant’s Miika chimes in with wisecrack after wisecrack and is the welcomed constant comedic relief. The cinematography and animation are fantastic and the shifting between the story and “real life” is seamless and handled perfectly. A Boy Called Christmas builds a world full of magic and wonder that is fun for the whole family. It isn’t a stretch to imagine the film becoming part of the holiday rotation, and deservedly so.
