Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in English
The very first sounds we hear in “Sneaks” are of those of New York City. The subway announcement, resident chatter and bustling street commotion provide the ambient grounding force of this tale of comradery, colorful characters and community. More along the lines of “Brave Little Toaster” and “Toy Story” than the world of “Cars” and “Planes,” directors Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins’ animated feature combines human drama with that of its anthropomorphized objet d’art, spinning its story about a separated pair of one-of-a-kind sneakers forced to find their way back to one other, as well as their teen owner. Though its situational conflicts skew young and far too basic for tweens and adults, there’s enough thematic resonance for kiddos to connect with, dealing with finding purpose and the bravery to live outside of the box.
High-schooler Edson (voiced by Swae Lee) loves working at his local youth center and playing basketball, but his current pair of kicks are no longer kicking it. They’re worn down and ripped, hindering him from achieving his goals to become a sports superstar and a potential boyfriend to Vanessa (Amira Hall). A winning raffle ticket at the sneakerhead convention restores his dreams though, bequeathing him with a new pair of singular sparkling sneakers: the highly-coveted diamond-studded, white leather and gold-laced Alchemy 24’s. And these designer high-tops have two different personalities. The right shoe is Ty (Anthony Mackie) and he can’t wait to live out his days in a display case. The left shoe is Maxine (Chloe Bailey) and she wants to be put to practical use.
Because of their rarity, the luxury footwear attract the attention of The Collector (Laurence Fishburne) and his snarling, slobbering bulldog Mercury. They’re desperate to add them to their collection – so desperate, they steal them out of Edson’s apartment, leaving the teen despondent. The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own. However, as the bullish baddie is transporting his hot goods, Maxine launches an escape, sending Ty hurtling, separating the siblings with no hope of a reunion. That is until smooth-talking opportunist sneaker J.B. (Martin Lawrence) promises to help Ty find his sister. The mismatched pair’s adventure takes them all over the city, from basketball courts to Central Park, conquering obstacles and meeting shoes from all walks of life.
Edwards, who also wrote the film (working from a story by Desiree Proctor, Erica Harrell and Dylan Hartman), oddly has both overstuffed and under-cooked his human and sneaker dramatics. Edson is clearly an integral part of his neighborhood, but he’s relegated to solely waiting around for his shoes, highlighted when he warbles an on-the-nose song about how he’s sad he might miss his midnight basketball tournament and his opportunity to ascend in life. His arc is superficial at best. Maxine is also a wash, mansplained to about modern sneaker culture, but leading the charge in an uprising. The Collector experiences a nice change, but his motivation for working under a horrible boss is flimsy at best. The greatest journey is reserved for Ty, since he has the most to learn about the world and breaking through his fears.
Side characters feel shoe-horned in to justify a sprawling ensemble. With the exception of the Converse O.G. (Keith David), whose on-court trash talk masks a heart of gold, and the high-tone high-heel Adriana (Macy Gray), whose love of the spotlight equals her love of helping others, many of its third-rank supporting players are one-dimensionally drawn, with their outer appearance serving as their only defining feature. Ty accrues character-building scuffs and interactions, yet it grows repetetive after the first two locations. The “you lied to me” betrayal at the bowling alley rolls a gutter ball in terms of its narrative significance and contrivances, gathering Ty’s ruby slipper girlfriend Britany (Ella Mai) and her Stiletto pals together.
Though the story wears down its tread, strong performances elevate the material. Mackie, Fishburne, Lawrence, Bailey and David all pour a ton of heart into their vocal dynamics, allowing nuanced vulnerability and a bubbly buoyancy to shine through, keeping us tethered to the emotional pull of the picture. Humor tends to be too meta, but when it’s funny, the jokes work to good effect. The animation style delivers a decent, if budget-conscious, aesthetic impersonation of the “Spider-Verse” films. The highlight here is the animators’ homage to “Toy Story” as the sneakers switch to their inanimate form when humans are around, flopping on the ground in a similar fashion. Plus, the score by Terrace Martin and the soundtrack containing original songs by Mustard give the picture a complementary sonic identity.
Despite its drawbacks, “Sneaks” manages to sneak in thoughtful sentiments that stand to reverberate in pint-sized audiences’ heads and hearts. Themes centered on resilience and finding innovative ways through hardship are good teaching tools for their adolescence. Still, adults might leave with more questions than answers about the world that’s been created, as that world will fail to immerse them.
