Lessons from Nimona written by the Ent. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: Nimona
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Childrens, Adventure
Length: About 1 hr. 20 mins (there is about 20 mins of credits)
Age suggested: 8 and up
Release Date: June 30th 2023
Warnings: A fair amount of cartoon violence (stabbing, some resulting in death), Lots of talk of killing and hurting people, A big monster does appear as well
Quick Nimona Summary
Based on the 2015 Graphic Novel of the Same Name, we get introduced to the character Ballister. He is about to be crowned as the newest guard for the queen when an incident leads him to be the number one most wanted man in the kingdom. Nimona comes into the story as a girl who wants to assist Ballister, but her assistance is not necessarily wanted. This kicks off an adventure of betrayal, redemption, and identity.
Nimona Review
(Contains Minor Spoilers)
–Why Watch Nimona-
The plot of Nimona is gripping enough alone for me to suggest this to anyone who can handle the content (see below sections for more clarification on those). Outside of that, the characters, particularly Ballister and Nimona, are just really lovable. They both go through so many trials that make you connect with them emotionally. Nimona herself has such a contagious joyous personality that is intermingled so perfectly with her surprisingly dark humor and statements. Especially by the end of the movie, you can see why she is the way she is.
The way the movie kicks off is such an immediately gripping story that leaves you questioning how Ballister is every going to get out of his predicament. That energy fills the entire movie up until the very end, making the run time (1 hr 20 mins) go by really quickly and leaving you with a heartwarming and heart wrenching story of rejection and redemption.
The animation is also very well done. This is particularly noticeable during Nimona’s transitions into different creatures. Some huge shout outs to the voice acting crew. Chloe Grace Moretz does a phenomenal job as Nimona, who has such a large range of emotions and moments. Riz Ahmed was also a fantastic choice for Ballister. He adds such a charm to the character that is so necessary considering his introduction in the movie.
Overall, this is such a fun blend of fantasy and sci-fi that simply provides a fun daventure story for the viewers who are old enough to watch it.
-Is Nimona Appropriate for Young Kids?-
The appropriateness of this movie is very dependent on the maturity level of you kid. The main concern I would have is the focus on murder and hurting others. A big character is murdered within the first 20 minutes of the movie. This is the most intense scene in terms of violence, but there is much more discussion and acting out of violence throughout the movie. This comes mostly from Nimona who does say it in kinda fun ways, but for younger viewers, this still may be a bit much.
The other portion that may be too much for younger kids is the giant monster at the end of the film. Although there is good resolution here, the actual monster does have some distinct creepy factors. There are also a few minor curse words throughout the film, but nothing too egregious, Overall, we recommend this movie for 8 and up, but with guidance, some younger viewers may be able to handle the scarier moments.
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-Plot Summary (Major Spoilers Alert Beyond this Point)-
The opening of the movie shows Ballister preparing to be knighted by the queen. After an encouraging conversation with his boyfriend (Ambrosius), Ballister goes into the arena to be knighted. As the Queen hands Ballister the sword, a blast bursts into the queen, killing her. Ballister gets away as the crowd and soldiers are in utter shock of what has happened, but it costs him his arm.
While he is hiding, Ballister hears a knock on his door. He opens the door, finds no one there, then closes it. That’s when Nimona appears behind him. Although Ballister is confused, Nimona is excited to be a side kick to the biggest villain in the kingdom. Ballister tries to convince her that he is innocent, but she doesn’t believe him. When Ballister tries to leave to find help, he finds himself locked up in prison. And who is there to help him out? You guess it, Nimona. This is where we learn that Nimona has the ability to shapeshift.
A large chunk of this movie is simply Ballister desperately trying to prove his innocence to Ambrosius, the Director, and ultimately, the kingdom. This does lead to a standoff between Ballister and Nimona, which causes her to leave. This is also where we get more of her backstory. She was a little girl who showed her powers to another girl and they became friends over time. During a play session, Nimona transforms into a bear and plays with the other little girl. That’s when the townspeople come in to save the little girl. When Nimona transforms back into a little girl, she scares the townspeople and they begin to attack her.
This transitions into the modern Nimona where she is hurting so much from the rejection that she transforms into a giant black and white monster and begins to destroy the city. When the Director sees the monster, she prepares a blast that would also destroy a large portion of the city.During the rampage, she sees a statue of the little girl from her childhood (the statue is the older version) who is holding a sword out. Nimona then attempts to impale herself on the statue, but is stopped by Ballister.
Nimona then transforms back into a little girl, but the Director still calls for the blast to happen. The blast begins to commence by the Director’s own hand. Nimona then transforms into a giant phoenix-like bird and dives into the blast, stopping it from destroying the city and in turn, kills the director.
We then cut to the epilogue where the city has opened up and Ballister and the late Nimona are praised as heroes. Ballister and Ambrosius also mend their relationship. In the closing few shots, Ballister hears a knock on his door. He opens the door, finds no one there, then closes it. He then turns around and his faces fills with joy as the movie cuts to credits.
Continue Reading for our Lessons from Nimona
Favorite Nimona Quotes
A long, long time ago, a kingdom lived in peace believing they had nothing to fear.
But if you want a happily ever after, you can never let your guard down.
She thought someone like you could be a hero and it cost her her life.
Once everyone sees you as a villain, that’s all you are.
I’m no doctor, but this cast looks delicious.
And what if we’re wrong? What if we’ve always been wrong?
Some of us don’t get the happily ever after we were looking. Maybe it’s not that kind of kingdom or maybe it’s not the end of the story
-Nimona Quotes
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Lessons from Nimona
Obvious Truths Still May Need to be Questioned
At the beginning of the movie, it seems obvious to the entire kingdom that Ballister murdered the queen. Even though we as the viewer don’t believe that, to anyone in that arena, it would have been blatantly obvious. It took a whole lot of work, but eventually evidence was finally released that showed the true murderer. This is something that is incredibly important today. Between social media, news, and all the wildness out there, it is more important than ever to question sources and motives.
Trusting Our Friend’s Judgment is Important
Ballister is figuratively wounded over and over again as no one believes his side of the story. This is most seen in his conversations with Ambrosius who is simply so blinded by the Director’s trickery. There is obviously a balance to this because many people may have secrets that we would never suspect, but it is always important to hear the other side of the story.
Beliefs of the Past Affect the Present
When we see Nimona’s backstory about Gloreth, it is so heartbreaking to see in retrospect who that harmful belief had been past down to many generations. This is not hard to correlate with the real world with how much harmful histories and beliefs are shared and have been shared for just as many generations.
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Nimona Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Guilt vs innocence, Redemption, Betrayal, Transphobia
- Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? How did you handle it?
- Are you more like Ballister (reserved and safe) or Nimona (rambunctious and wild)?
- How does Ballister convince Ambrosius that Nimona isn’t dangerous.
- Why did the director believe Nimona was evil?
- What led to Nimona’s transformation at the end of the movie?
Thanks for reading our Lessons from Nimona!
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