After months of reviewing dark dramas and tough issues the Ugly Dolls movie couldn’t have come at a better time. A cute feel good family movie Ugly Dolls delivers an important and timely message about liking yourself.
The action opens in Uglyville, a candy coloured town straight out of Cirque du Soleil, where every misshapen citizen is heralded for their difference. We’re introduced to daily life through the effervescent Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) whose Pollyanna personality is infectious. Aside from generally loving life the residents become one big ball of loving each time a new member drops from a shoot in the sky to join the population.
After a while though Moxy soon starts to wonder what lies beyond the shoot. Could there be something more? More importantly when will she get her own child to love and be loved by? Having wrangled in a posy of somewhat fearless friends they set off up the shoot where they discover a town called Perfection.
Perfection is ruled by Lou (Nick Jonas) an impossibly perfect doll. Here genetically blessed toys are trained at the Institute of Perfection in important skills such as how to avoid getting dirty. This critical skill will ensure they avoid the dreaded washing machine and dryer, which chip away at their perfection with each wash. Once they pass all the training they will be sent to their real life child.
It’s not long before Moxy and her crew are discovered and their innocence is challenged. Inspired by the 2001 plush toy phenomenon Ugly Dolls delivers the important message that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing, that who you truly are is what matters most.
Ugly Dolls clearly delivers the message that it’s okay to be different, that love and compassion win the day, along with secondary messages about recycling. Some of the images may be too scary for very little ones (e.g. the little boy next to me climbed into his dads lap). Similarly some found it a little long, preferring to run up the stairs instead. I was surprised it was a musical but the kids loved this.
For more information go to Palace Cinema Raine Square or Event Cinema
