‘Ruby Strangelove’ Review

Stars: Seanna Pereira, Ed Stoppard, Twinnie Lee Moore, Stephen Rea, Steve Nicolson, Steven Hartley, Chènusè Aïtchédji, Amy McAllister, Corey Johnson, Carolina Poprocka | Written by Luke Garrett | Directed by Evgeny Ruman

Young Ruby Strangelove has a very special secret… she is a Witch! When she discovers her long lost mother was abducted by evil forces she sets out to use all her magical powers to get her back. Ruby Strangelove is a magical story, with amazing special effects, about a young girl journeying through the universe defeating evil to be reunited with the mother she thought she would never see again.

Now, I’m probably over a decade or so older than the target audience for this film so I’m going to have to channel my inner child a bit to review this one. So let’s start with the fun! Ruby Strangelove is a story about eight-year-old Ruby who finds out she has magical powers. The magic seems to work mainly when she is singing, so it’s convenient that at the same time she is preparing to take her band into the ‘battle of the bands’. It’s a colourful and positive story which emphasises believing in yourself and friendship as Ruby stands up to bullies, tries to save her mother and sings a variety of tunes to keep the positive vibes flowing.

The story is a bit strange (love). Ruby’s Mother is trapped in an eeevil parallel universe which seems to have an obsession with smiling and the circus. She is stuck in a place called the ‘United Kingdom of America’ (which sounds like a jolly fine place if you ask me!) and can only be saved if Ruby is in the right place at the right time… I think. Also something about a mirror. To be fair, for a plot aimed at 8 year olds, I had no idea why they were doing what they were doing. Either I should feel bad because I couldn’t figure it out, or the film writer aimed a little too high. It is probably somewhere between the two.

If I have one major issue, it’s the fact that sometimes the background music is louder than the dialogue. Maybe more youthful ears than mine could hear what is being said, but I found a lot of lines were drowned out at moments when the characters were whispering or talking quietly. This was incredibly annoying. How am I supposed to enjoy the magic and adventure if I can’t hear what is going on?

Overall, for the audience it is aimed at, Ruby Strangelove is an alright film for a few hours of entertainment.

*** 3/5

Ruby Strangelove is released on DVD on October 5th, courtesy of High Fliers Films.