‘Arco’: A 2D Sci-Fi Adventure That Mesmerises And Moves

A radiant sci-fi animated adventure, Arco dazzles with imagination and heart, even if its story sometimes struggles to keep pace.

Directed by Ugo Bienvenu and co-written with Félix de Givry, Arco follows a 10-year-old boy from a distant future who steals a forbidden first flight in a magical rainbow suit, dreaming of dinosaurs and adventure.

Quickly finding himself out of his depth, Arco crashes into 2075 and is rescued by Iris, a lonely girl adrift in her own era, who sets out to help him return home.

The pair form an earnest bond—two kids from vastly different times discovering comfort and courage in each other’s company as they navigate fear, wonder, and longing for something amiss.

Visually, the film is sumptuous. Arco’s rainbow suit shimmers across dusky skies, while retro-futuristic suburbs in a world ravaged by climate change drift past in layered textures.

Every frame flows with a softness that feels both modern and nostalgic.

Drawing from various animation styles, the film pulses with kinetic energy, seamlessly creating a rich 2D world that awes without overwhelming.

The world blends retro charm and futuristic wonder, populated by warm—and sometimes—eccentric characters.

Three seemingly nefarious stooge-like conspiracy theorists—voiced by Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea—add just enough levity without derailing the emotional core.

Themes of AI replacing human connection, environmental collapse, grief and memory loom large, yet the story filters them through the whimsy of childhood in the resilient, curious eyes of its young protagonists.

But for all its spectacle, the story falters. Packed into a 90 minute runtime, the narrative can feel overstuffed and underdeveloped, leaving only glimpses of the larger world and themes it hints at.

Still, despite being light in structure and more interested in atmosphere than narrative momentum, the film doesn’t refrain from leaving you misty-eyed or with a lump in your throat.

One heartbreaking, tender scene where Iris’s robot nanny rushes to the rescue, lingers, in a moment that underscores the film’s theme of hope and care.

Echoing the energy of Studio Ghibli, the film might feel derivative to some, but, for the most part, it confidently crafts its own emotional and visual grammar in a way that feels honest rather than forced.

Its influences in themes and visual language are worn as homage rather than imitation.

For lovers of Miyazaki, films like Wild Robot, or anyone looking for a good ol’ 2D adventure, Arco is a must-watch.

While it may stumble narratively, Arco’s emotional openness, whimsical imagination and breathtaking visuals are undeniable.

It succeeds as an inventive, heartfelt experience that hits—proof that animation can be ambitious, moving, visually arresting and appeal to all ages.

In a landscape that desperately needs more of it, Arco is a stunning original 2D animation—offering wonder on one level and quiet melancholy in another—that shines brightly and will likely endure as a future classic.

★★★

Arco is in cinemas from 12 March.