Thelma The Unicorn Review : Thelma’s journey from a farm pony to Pop Diva hits all the right notes

Synopsis: When Thelma (Brittany Howard), a farm pony, gets an accidental makeover, her lifelong dream of becoming a pop sensation comes true. But at what cost?

Review: Thelma, a farm pony, Otis (Will Forte) the donkey and Reggie (Jon Heder) the llama, are a motley bunch of friends, who run a local music band called The Rusty Buckets. Their aim is to shine at a popular music reality show SparklePalooza, but before they can perform, the judges humiliate them and throw them out of the show. Next day at the farm, a clumsy truck driver accidentally drenches Thelma in shiny glitter and pink paint, transforming her into a hotshot unicorn. Not the one to let go of this opportunity, Thelma marches on with her newfound fame replacing superstar singing sensation, Nikky Narwhal (Ally Dixon), the whale. She is helped by Nikky’s shrewd yet clout-wielding manager Vic Diamond (Jemaine Clement ). But in the process, Thelma ends up making new enemies and losing old friends. And also, how long can she hide her true identity?

Directors Jared Hess (also the co-writer) and Lynn Wang along with screenplay writer Jerusha Hess successfully bring the children’s book ‘Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey’ to life. They add enough sparkle to the written word to make it a shining example of how vivid imagination, strong writing and colourful execution can further enhance a book’s narrative on celluloid. Each and every character is so well pronounced and performed that it’s simply impossible to not relate with them. From the opportunistic and scheming star maker Vic Diamond to the arrogant superstar Nikki and her gal-Friday Megan (Edi Patterson) and from the docile yet ambitious Thelma to her trusted buddies Otis, Reggie and a bunch of other characters - each one is simply a hoot. The film doesn’t have a dull moment literally and figuratively. Each scene is packed with slapstick humour, animated and over-the-top theatrics that blend impeccably with the narrative. But for a film that has music as the driving force for its characters, the original score (by John Powell) is sorely lacking. None of the songs have the wow factor that will make them linger on in your head. Even the all-important climatic song is all but forgettable. However, that’s just a minor hiccup in this otherwise fun-filled whacky ride of friendship, ambition and emotions.

Unlike many Hollywood animated films, this one doesn’t waste too much time in unnecessary melodrama or verbose scenes that can kill the pace of a perfectly tight script. Instead, we often see Thelma going head on after her dreams, making the best of what life has to offer. The contemporary and imaginative setting of the story in a modern-era where animals are easily using smartphones and social media, posing and posting on apps like Pigstagram, is amusing and hillarious, at the same time. Singer Brittany Howard lends the required emotional edge to Thelma’s character but it’s Jemaine Clement, who absolutely nails it as the straight-talking opportunist star manager Vic Diamonds. Rest of the supporting cast also performs exceedingly well.

While the film’s adapted from a children’s book, its appeal is universal. The makers infuse just enough thought, madness and emotion into the mix that it gives ‘Thelma the unicorn’ a glittering edge over countless other animated movies. This tale of a farm pony’s transformation into a pop diva hits all the right notes with a sparkling charm.