Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie review - A fascinating tale of superheroes and love in modern Paris

Netflix's latest animated children's film Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie premiered earlier today, July 28, 2023, narrating the familiar tale from the five-part French series of the same name.

The official synopsis for the movie, as per IMDb, states:

"Ordinary teenager Marinette's life in Paris goes superhuman when she becomes Ladybug. Bestowed with magical powers of creation, Ladybug must unite with her opposite, Cat Noir, to save Paris as a new villain unleashes chaos unto the city."

The Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie centers around Marinette and Adrien, two Parisian teenagers-turned-superheroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir, who save the City of Love from villains, all the while igniting their own romance.

Jeremy Zag is the film's co-writer and director, alongside Bettina Lopez Mendoza. It first premiered at the Grand Rex on June 11 and was released in France earlier this month on July 5, 2023. The voice cast includes Annouck Hautbois as Marinette, Benjamin Bollen as Adrien, and Antoine Tomé as Gabriel, among others.

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Marinette, the central character in Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie, is a klutz until she starts believing in herself

Marinette becomes Ladybug when she is chosen by the Kwami of Creation, while Adrien becomes Cat Noir when he finds the Kwami of Destruction. Behind masks, using their specialized weapons, they fight evil. The former has her own yoyo-like prop and jewels in the form of earrings. Car Noit has his stick and a ring to send signals in times of threat.

The main villain, however, is HawkMoth (Adrien's father Gabriel), who possesses the Butterfly Miraculous and intends to acquire the other two to bring back his dead wife.

Running parallel is a complicated romance between the two leads, who don't seem to recognize each other behind their marks despite being friends at school until the conclusion.

The storyline of Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir initially focused on the two superheroes using their powers collectively for greater power and concludes with Marinette, aka Ladybug, restoring peace and the city of Paris because she possesses the power of the Kwami of Creation.

Marinette's Kwami pushes her to the point where she overlooks all fears and starts to believe in the goodness of her actions.

The movie also has an in-depth moral, especially for children, as it propagates the idea of believing in oneself. Marinette, who is a socially anxious school klutz and someone who doesn't seem to get anything right, restores the demolished city and turns into the literal belle of the ball by the end of the film. These changes happen not because the teen has superpowers now but because she believes in herself.

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Will there be a part 2 of Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie?

At first, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir seemed like a desperate attempt to pull off a Disney-cum-Pixar animation, but it managed to do a better job than expected from a children's animated musical.

There was a sense of thrill and adventure throughout. They also gave it a sentimental touch with the backstory about Adrien's deceased mother and his shackled relationship with his father.

The filmmakers did leave the ending with a touch of suspense - Adrien's mother is hidden away in a secret dungeon-like room. They never quite mentioned if Gabriel managed to bring her back to life or if that was supposed to be her gravesite. It is also unclear what became of Gabriel. There are multiple questions about his fate.

Since Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir is based on the five-part French series, there is a possibility of other parts coming in the near future. So, viewers who enjoyed the movie can be hopeful.

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Netflix's latest animated children's movie Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir is now available to stream.