This unnecessary hatred stems from Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell's (Simon McBurney) beliefs: The authoritarian plans to eradicate the wolves so he can clear out the woods for farmland. In the end, she gets to be the person she's always wanted to be. Yet she doesn't accept that undesired path, and continues to do what she wants to do. History is littered with ugliness of this sort, and adult viewers know that Wolfwalkers wants to bring that legacy to mind. She also has healing powers and control over the vicious wolfpack that has been tormenting people. Wolfwalkers dabbles in the conflict between the locals (the Irish) and the invaders (the English). Without sleep, people go mad â or worse, die. It's not always easy for Robyn to follow her heart, however. It's hard not to feel bad for these children, especially with a modern perspective, as they seemingly have to cook all their meals and don't go to school. If Wolfwalkers has a weakness it’s in the simplicity of the story. Robyn and Mebh's unique relationship There are a whole lot of subtleties and non-traditional elements involved in Robyn and Mebh's friendship. These realizations might land differently for kids and adults, but all viewers are united in appreciating the fantasy wonderland that is Wolfwalkers. Tap to unmute. Even the bullying hunter children punish Robyn for being from another place. But eventually, Mebh comes around and becomes Bill's half-daughter. While the Lord Protector is nice enough to give Bill a job as a hunter, he also threatens to make Bill a foot soldier if he doesn't kill the wolves (entirely by himself). A revelation. From the sound of it, never. Mebh assumes her mother, whose sleeping human form Mebh guards, is out searching for a new home. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. When Robyn Goodfellowe accidently shoots Merlyn, Mebh took him into her den and healed him, although it is not shown in the film. Yet when they become wolves at night as their human bodies rest, their minds are still on. The threat to the woods is why Moll is searching for a new place to live â yet the pack can't leave until she finds a new home. Yes, Mebh and Robyn are children, and they live during an undeniably hard time for women and LGBTQ+ people. Directed by: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart. Children would be able to leave the confines of the town if they didn't fear getting attacked by wolves, yet the wolves wouldn't attack if their home wasn't being destroyed. Yet Mebh is a wolfwalker, and prefers the free lifestyle of not being surrounded by four walls. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Most will go … Many days are pretty tame. Personal space is all but gone; they are not close friends, or pseudo-step-sisters. But Wolfwalkers hits deeper. Burning down the forest to get rid of one group of wolves would cause more harm than good by pretty much any measure. Yes, the wolves attack the workers and livestock, but that's out of survival, as colonization and encroachment have taken valuable resources away. You're signed out. In the wagon, Robyn and Mebh are notably lying together in bed, they’re faces extremely close together. “It’ll come in handy to spread out during the snow season to set up a number of traps, all four of us.” Mebh turned to her, her green eyes sparkling under the noon sun. This concept, however, sounds extremely exhausting when an adult mind mulls over the logistics. There are a whole lot of subtleties and non-traditional elements involved in Robyn and Mebh's friendship. Even if she doesn't become a hunter, as first desired, she doesn't give into strict repression, nor does she settle for a life she never wanted. More crucially, both girls are stuck in a purgatory of loneliness, and want to spend more time with their parents. Although Bill is mostly accepting of Robyn's choices, her duties do include such traditional work as sweeping the floor and making sure everything is tidy. It's clear that the woods are where the wolves live, and they need the forest for shelter, food, and water. These woods are home to wolves, and Bill is tasked with killing the last pack of misunderstood creatures. Wolfwalkers ends with Robyn, Mebh, and their respective parents heading off to an unknown place, collectively and happily together. Robyn does, however, have shelter, which is more than what Mebh, a girl who lives in the woods, can say. This element of Wolfwalkers' story is crucial, but virtually impossible for little ones (who are less likely to know much about Irish folklore and history) to spot. The Lord Protector wants to use this land for farming. Wolfwalkers pulls off this magical feat. We're here to reveal those things only adults notice in this magical film. Mostly, he sets traps all day and eventually returns to see if he caught anything.Â. Mebh convinces Robyn to help find her missing mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), the queen wolfwalker, who was captured while in wolf form. Yet it's still hard for an adult viewer not to notice that the movie's two greatest heroes, Robyn and Mebh, are children who are alone far too often. Robyn sneaks away and follows her father into the woods, discovering that the legends spoken of in town of a wolfwalker is true. While Robyn's life in town is dull, limited, and sexist, she's gifted with the physical and emotional freedom she's always desired in the woods, a place that's full of life and possibility. Starring: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney. The relationship between Robyn and Mebh is one of friendship and similar beliefs. Yet it's Robyn who discovers Mebh Ãg MacTÃre (Eva Whittaker) and the wolves beyond the town's walls. Although nothing more than your average wolves, when they hear Mebh or Moll howling there eyes glow yellow and they go towards the sound. Adults will notice all of this shaming as a very old form of ugliness and prejudice. They even fall asleep while guarding the town at night, probably because they're overworked. In case it's not clear, the woods are no place for a child, even if said child can turn into a wolf at night. Luckily, Robyn continues to fight conformity. What are people going to do for lumber and firewood? The Lord Protector decides to eradicate the wolf population by burning their home, the woods, to the ground. In the wagon, Robyn and Mebh are notably lying together in bed, they’re faces extremely close together. But one thing's certain: Robyn and Mebh find happiness and support in one another. The relationship between Robyn and Mebh is explored fully, but the film tends to crawl when it comes to the obstacles Robyn faces while trying to meet up with Mebh. Bill's not actually fending off vicious animals in the woods with the skills and talents all hunters supposedly possess â in fact, his everyday work is remarkably monotonous. Robyn, for example, bucks traditional gender roles in a major way. Robyn and Mebh, on the surface, are friends. However, Wolfwalkers gives off some distinct LGBTQ+ vibes in portraying their relationship. This event is also likely linked to folkloric tales of humans transforming into wolves after falling asleep. Wolfwalkers' townspeople have an irrational fear of wolves. That's not the only way Wolfwalkers brings politics and history into the mix. This page is a compilation of Mebh Ãg MacTÃre's relationships with the other characters of Wolfwalkers. Genres: Animation, Fairy Tale, Adventure, Fantasy. Children weren't raised how they are now, with around-the-clock supervision and caretaking. But as the lives of the townies and the wolves collide, Robyn's relationship with her father comes to a head when she's transformed into the very thing he is tasked to destroy. Yet being a hunter isn't all it's cracked up to be, in ways adults, who have likely worked so-so jobs before, can easily recognize. “Wolfwalkers” is a great example of female empowerment, a theme juxtaposed by its medieval folklore setting. Cancel. The woodcutters are invading their land, not the other way around. Its tale of transformation possesses more than the theme of humility and ingenuity. Later that night, Robyn turns into a wolf as an effect of being bitten by Mebh. The wolves attack, but they also appear to be scaring away the intruders who are destroying the forest. The English father and daughter are summoned to Kilkenny, Ireland, a superstitious wonderland boasting an enchanted forest and a town looking to clear the nearby woods for farming. But a fire could easily damage the land so badly that farming might not be possible. But there appear to be soldiers who could help in this bloody endeavor. Although he's a fine hunter, Bill doesn't yet know that wolfwalkers are real, let alone that a wolfwalker is leading the wolf pack he's hunting. Robyn and Mebh’s bonding moment. One such hidden message is an ecologically-minded one, urging viewers to respect and conserve nature. Normal human by day and full-blown wolf by night â you get the best of both worlds. Those are the stories that live on for ages â not so much the ones about an average Thursday wrangling snares. The film’s relationships are excellently crafted, especially the friendship between Robyn and Mebh and the loving yet strained bond between Robyn and her father. When exactly does a wolfwalker's mind get to rest? This plan would, to say the least, cause more harm than good for everyone, as any adult viewer will immediately deduce. It is she who leads the wolves, trying to keep the invasion of English deforestation at bay with their snarls and fangs. As the film's creators mentioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Oliver Cromwell was a real historical figure, and his conquest of Ireland is believed to have played a role in the extinction of the country's wolves. Robyn, however, knows how to stand up for herself, and she's also a talented young hunter. Hunters are deemed heroic in this world: The townspeople look upon the profession with high regard, because hunters protect their town from deadly threats. Most will go over a child's head, but not a savvy adult's. She eventually comes to be friends with Robyn's pet bird. The biggest surface issue portrayed in Wolfwalkers is the Lord Protector making the wolves public enemy number one. Yet the Lord Protector tasks Bill with eliminating the four-legged woodland creatures. Once she gets her wish, Robyn discovers that the wolves and the woods are not as they seem. But Wolfwalkers hits deeper. As adults well know, lack of rest is one of the most frustrating (and common) problems a person can endure. Mebh having to wear a longer dress and SHOES in order sneak past a town to their new homestead. It's not ideal to use all the town's resources to kill one wolf pack, granted. They come from different worlds, but the pair’s friendship bridges … She befriends Mebh, and goes on adventures in the colorful forest â a dramatic contrast to life in the scullery. Some of Wolfwalkers' character choices might go over the heads of younger viewers, but they're hard to miss for adults. While the concept of becoming a wolfwalker is spiritual and supernatural and therefore somewhat beyond mortal concerns like sleep, it's hard not to notice how tiresome that life would be. That idea can be traced at least as far back as Romeo and Juliet. Wolfwalkers. Robyn soon discovers WolfWalkers, people who can communicate with and turn into wolves. A revelation. Robyn soon discovers Wolfwalkers, people who can communicate with and turn into wolves. Ultimately, of course, Wolfwalkers is a magically layered story that has something for the whole family. Familial relationships and friendships advance the narrative, reminding viewers of their importance. One such injustice in Wolfwalkers is that Robyn and her father aren't liked because of where they came from. Robyn, for the most part, isn’t questioning herself. While the wolves do attack the woodcutters and livestock, they're protecting their home. “Our pack knows because of living close to a town and we Wolfwalkers.” Putting a hand on Mebh’s shoulder, Robyn made her stop. The developments have our protagonist encountering hostility for befriending a strange individual. Mebh, a free-spirited girl who fends for herself, is a "wolfwalker," a mysterious creature who can heal others and turn into a wolf at night. Now, it must be pointed out that despite these hiccups, screenwriter Will Collins still did an amazing job. But, of course, it's a good thing the Lord Protector puts all his trust in one person, even if it seems like he's secretly expecting Bill to fail. A perfectly splendid animated film has the power to bring the entire family to the couch, This unnecessary hatred stems from Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell's (Simon McBurney) beliefs, As the film's creators mentioned in an interview with, some distinct LGBTQ+ vibes in portraying their relationship, It's not always easy for a younger mind to spot social injustices, especially when they're pumped into an animated film with a PG rating, Without sleep, people go mad â or worse, die. Is out searching for a new home herself, and goes on adventures in the greatest all-time movies according... 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