(Written by Intern, Miranda Zampogna)
Sneaks, an animated feature directed by Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins, cobbles together an impressive cast. Among the sequined collection of stars, Anthony Mackie and Martin Lawrence voice anthropomorphic sneakers in this Toy Story-esque tale. Audiences trek alongside Edson, a high school basketball player, who wins a pair of highly coveted golden high-tops, called Alchemy 24s (A24s), that come to life. However, this out-of-the-shoe-box premise is frayed by distressed graphics and a well-worn narrative that treads its sole thin.
Opening credits journey through a stylized, yet rudimentary, New York City, where an unappealing clash of colors laces up a flashy, uncanny aesthetic. Scuffed visuals persist throughout, with human characters exhibiting a stilted, almost video game-like quality, reminiscent of early 2000s CGI. Their unsettling blinking and lack of detailed facial expressions, in particular, trip up any attempt at emotional connection. The sneaks, the main attraction, often appear visually disconnected from their surroundings and unevenly rendered, evoking the feeling of watching unproduced animatics. Furthermore, neglecting favorite brands and retro models, which should have been easy nostalgia bait, sees their designs as cheap knock-offs. Key sequences, like a bus-ride montage through Harlem, intend on resonating with the fandom’s rich culture, yet end up feeling generic and only emphasize budgetary constraints.
Quickly kicking off the central conflict, Edson (Swae Lee) wins the prized A24s at a sneaker convention, beating a grabby collector (Laurence Fishburne), who was heavily invested in reselling them to a wealthy buyer. The one shoe, Ty (Mackie), enticed by the allure of the collector’s display case, disagrees with his pair, Maxine (Chloe Bailey), who desires to remain with Edson. This sparks the thematic lesson Ty must learn, which is that life, despite a few smudges, should be experienced. After the collector nabs them, an adventure begins when the two are accidentally separated. Ty teams up with J.B. (Lawrence), a street-wise sneaker, to find his sister. In the meantime, Maxine must escape from the collector’s high-security display room. From this point, a predictable hero’s journey ensues, complete with mentors, a repetitive search for clues, and a series of mangy animals that stand in their way. Humor, with shoe-themed wordplay and “your mama” jokes, feels dated, and rarely elevates beyond a superficial pun. Moreover, an awkwardly placed musical number further disrupts the tone and loses focus.
Edson, despite being the initial protagonist, remains a thinly drawn character. His motivation centers almost entirely on his desire for the prized kicks, and attempts to add depth, such as his involvement with a Boys and Girls Club, feel loosely tied in. At one point, he confesses that the A24s were his future, but he never elaborates on his plans. Supporting characters, while voiced by recognizable actors, are stitched together from archetypes. Only Keith David, voicing the king-shoe, O.G., a Converse who helps find Maxine, adds liveliness and gravitas with his performance. Failing to rouse genuine excitement, the climax, set in a rat-infested Central Park and the collector’s high-rise apartment, is paint-by-numbers. Not unlike every other fairytale, the hero here must also save his fairmaiden from a locked tower. Twists, involving J.B.’s past and the collector’s sudden change of heart, are too heavily foreshadowed to be considered fresh revelations.
In the end, Sneaks struggles to outrun its lackluster use of hybrid animation and stumbles over formulaic hurdles. While the talking-shoe premise may hold some fleeting appeal for very young viewers, it ultimately fails to deliver an experience the whole family can enjoy. A lack of any sole-ful designs and the largely wasted talent is not worth treading, even for the most dedicated sneakerhead.
Sneaks does not add anything new to the collection when it goes on display on Friday, April 18th, but it could be an introduction for potential young sneakerheads.
