Disney+
Disney+ hasn’t just allowed Marvel to expand its interconnected universe—it’s afforded the studio an opportunity to both branch out into diverse genres and styles, such as the recent Ms. Marvel, which took a Disney Channel tween-sitcom approach to the MCU’s trademark formula, as well as to integrate animation into its fold. The latter is a natural move for a franchise based on comic books, and while What If? proved a more teen-oriented venture (as will be, presumably, the forthcoming Marvel Zombies and X-Men ’97), I Am Groot is unmistakably for the younger set. A handful of amusing shorts about the one-phrase-fits-all tree-tyke, it’s a lighthearted and comical collection that, set in the aftermath of the original 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film, concerns Groot’s slow and bumpy process of growing up.
Juvenile experiences are the name of I Am Groot’s (Aug. 10) game, beginning with a premiere installment in which Groot wanders through a forest, finds an intriguing puddle, sprays some bug goo into it (to turn it all purple-swirly), and takes a relaxing dip, replete with a bit of mud for the top of his head. Before he knows it, he’s sprouting foliage from every pore of his bark-covered body. This would be alarming if not for the fact that Groot is a kid with a wide-eyed sense of amazement and invention, and with scissors at the ready, he begins trimming his new external shrubbery into a variety of costumes. It’s dress-up of an out-of-this-world fashion, and though it’s interrupted and mocked by a nearby bird, it concludes with the hero facing unexpected disappointment and then triumphing via a cutesy twist—thereby establishing the proceedings’ sweet and simple template.
Vin Diesel once again handles vocal duties for I Am Groot’s protagonist, although since Groot is now a boy with a high-pitched voice, the star’s contribution seems altogether unnecessary; Diesel was hired expressly for his baritone, and altering it in post-production means that just about anyone could be tasked with this performance. Nonetheless, Diesel gives Groot a rambunctiousness that’s suitable for these vignettes, which are notable for their aesthetic sharpness. Using the same digital designs and effects that are featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the series boasts a handsome vibrancy and level of detail whether its action takes place in the darkness of an intergalactic ship cabin or in the bright sunshine of a distant planet. While Marvel’s VFX collaborations have recently come under fire, I Am Groot is lively and attractive, exhibiting a polish that adds to its endearing personality.