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Arlo the Alligator Boy

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Arlo the Alligator Boy
Promotional poster
Directed byRyan Crego
Screenplay by
  • Ryan Crego
  • Clay Senechal
Story byRyan Crego
Starring
Edited byKaren White
Music byAlex Geringas
  • Songs by:
    Alex Geringas
    Ryan Crego
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Arlo the Alligator Boy is a 2021 American animated adventure musical film directed by Ryan Crego in his directorial debut.[1] The film is led by Michael J. Woodard and Mary Lambert in their debut acting roles as Arlo and Bertie respectively.[2]

The film premiered on Netflix on April 16, 2021,[3] and received positive reviews from critics. The film was followed by a streaming television series titled I Heart Arlo in August 2021.

Plot

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Arlo Beauregard, a boy who is half-human and half-alligator, is placed in a sewage drain under New York City shortly after his birth, where he is taken by a stream of water into the ocean. Arriving in a swamp, Arlo is adopted and raised by a woman named Edmée. As a teenager, Arlo wishes to interact with other people but fears his alligator appearance will not be accepted by society. Edmée gives him his birth wristband on his fifteenth birthday and reveals to Arlo that he is from New York, and unaware that he was actually abandoned, Arlo decides to travel to the city to find his biological father, Ansel Beauregard.

While traveling, Arlo is spotted by a person who contacts two alligator hunters, Ruff and Stucky, to retrieve him using a creature known as "the Beast". After the hunters find him, Arlo is rescued by Bertie, who is also a teenager. At a wrestling club, the pair meet Furlecia, Teeny Tiny Tony, and Alia, who agree to drive Arlo and Bertie to NYC after they help rescue their friend Marcellus from an aquarium.

Arriving in NYC, the group spots Ansel Beauregard, an entrepreneur who announces his plan to rebuild part of the city near the seashore. Leaving his group after finding a way to talk to him, Arlo is told by Ansel that he is not his son, but Arlo disagrees. In an attempt to help, Ansel reveals his project to remodel the seashore environment of NYC into a large city, and tries to get Arlo to change his image, shocking him, and sends him away. Disappointed and alone, Arlo enters a sewage drain and is later found by the rest of his group at the same seashore site for Ansel's project, who then teach them that no matter how different he is, his flaws are what makes him who he is.

At the Met Gala that evening, Arlo and his friends break in but are secretly followed by Ruff, Stucky and the Beast. Soon after, Arlo interrupts the gala and Ansel tries to tell him the truth. However, Arlo is then captured by Ruff and Stucky. After Ansel manages to rescue Arlo, he reveals to the audience that he is, in fact, Arlo's father and also a half-bird. He explains he only gave him up just to hide his half-animal identity and wants Arlo to forgive him to start over their kinship. Delighted, Arlo hugs his father and forgives him, but turns down living with him in favor of living with his friends instead, and accepts Bertie as a member of the group as well. Additionally, Ansel decides to let them move to and rebuild the seashore part of the city as it was in better condition, and Arlo officially accepts it as where he truly belongs.

In a mid-credits scene, Edmée receives a postcard and learns about Arlo's new life.

Voice cast

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Production

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The film was announced by Netflix in November 2020 with Ryan Crego as director.[4] The film's soundtrack was released by Capitol Records on April 16, 2021.[5]

Track listing
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."More More More"Michael J. Woodard2:13
2."Happy Birthday to Ya"Annie Potts0:45
3."Beyond These Walls"Woodard2:27
4."More More More (Reprise)"Woodard0:26
5."Follow Me Home (Intro)"
0:22
6."Follow Me Home"
  • Woodard
  • Lambert
3:34
7."New York, My Home"Ryan Crego0:45
8."Right There with You"Rudi Alizah Gutierrez2:10
9."Better Life"Vincent Rodriguez III2:49
10."The Collage of Broken Dreams"Woodard1:39
11."Wash the Hurt Away"Woodard2:13
12."Something's Missing"
  • Woodard
  • Rodriguez III
2:56
13."Beautiful Together"
  • Woodard
  • Lambert
2:42
14."Arlo’s Journey (Score Suite)"Alex Geringas2:53
Total length:27:46

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[6] From The New York Times, Amy Nicholson wrote that "Long before the motley crew crashes the Met Gala, it's clear that director Ryan Crego is bolting wacky gee-gaws onto a rote plot" while also stating that "several gags pay off".[7] Writing for Pajiba, Kristy Puchko said the LGBT representation in the film was "not only welcomed but groundbreaking", and gave praise to the storytelling, characters, and animation.[8]

Accolades

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Awards and nominations received by Arlo the Alligator Boy
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Annie Awards March 12, 2022 Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Steve Downs Nominated [9]
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Israel Sanchez, Margaret Wuller, Michelle Haejung Park, Kayla Jones, and Tania Franco Nominated
Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Michael J. Woodard Nominated
Kidscreen Awards July 19, 2022 Best Holiday or Special Episode Arlo the Alligator Boy Nominated [10][11]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 17, 2021 Best Original Song in an Animated Film Ryan Crego and Alex Geringas (for "Follow Me Home") Nominated [12][13]

Television series

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The streaming series I Heart Arlo was released on Netflix on August 27, 2021, consisting of 19 episodes.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Schorin, PJ (March 19, 2021). "Arlo the Alligator Boy Trailer Shows A Boy Swapping The Swamp For The City". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Sledge, Philip (April 16, 2021). "Arlo The Alligator Boy Cast: Where You've Heard Or Seen The Actors Before". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Holub, Christian (March 17, 2021). "Colorful swamp misfits make their way to NYC in Netflix's Arlo the Alligator Boy trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "Arlo the Alligator Boy Makes His Debut In An All-New Animated Movie Musical and Series on Netflix". Netflix Media Center (Press release). November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (March 17, 2021). "Trailer: Netflix Sets Arlo the Alligator Boy Premiere, OST". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Arlo the Alligator Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Nicholson, Amy (April 16, 2021). "Arlo the Alligator Boy Review: Of Songs and Scales". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  8. ^ Puchko, Kristy (April 14, 2021). "Now On Netflix: Arlo The Alligator Boy Delivers A Rousing And Family-Friendly Queer Fable". Pajiba. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 21, 2021). "Raya and the Last Dragon Leads 2022 Annie Awards Feature Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (November 30, 2021). "Activism, Netflix dominate Kidscreen Awards nominations". Kidscreen Awards. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "Kidscreen Awards".
  12. ^ Grein, Paul (November 4, 2021). "Ariana Grande, Beyonce & More Vie for Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Complete Film Nominations List". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Grein, Paul (November 17, 2021). "No Time to Die Wins at 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List of Film Music Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  14. ^ Whyte, Alexandra (November 12, 2020). "Netflix orders Arlo the Alligator movie & series". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
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