Flora & Ulysses is a 2021 family comedy starring Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwartz, Matilda Lawler, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Danny Pudi, and Kate Micucci. It is based on the 2013 children's book of the same name written by Kate DiCamillo, and was released on Disney+ on February 19, 2021.
10-year-old Flora Buckman is a creative and imaginative comic-book fan, but her rough childhood that's about to culminate in her parents' difficult careers causing their impending divorce has made her cynical. One day, her next-door neighbor Phyllis ends up having mechanical trouble with her Ulysses-brand vacuum, and it absorbs a wild squirrel before powering down. Flora saves the squirrel's life, then finds out that it is sentient and has gained superpowers from the vacuum, typing a barely readable message on her mom's typewriter. Flora names the squirrel after the vacuum and tries to help him manage his powers and learn his purpose. However, a vicious animal control agent named Miller eventually catches wind of Ulysses and sets out to capture him.
Previews: Trailer
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Flora & Ulysses contains examples of:
- Actor Allusion: Stanlee says "H'oh, boy".
- Animal Superhero: Ulysses, of course.
- Bits of Me Keep Passing Out: George loses feeling in each of his limbs Miller shoots with a tranq gun as the former is running from the latter.
- Company Cross References: There are many Marvel Comics superheroes featured in this Disney movie. Also, Flora's doorbell plays the Imperial March from Star Wars.
- The Cynic: Flora proudly admits to being one. She loses her cynicism in the ending, though.
- Driving Stick: George has trouble getting his manual Nissan Versa going when he's trying to get from his former supply store workplace to save Ulysses.
- Flying Brick: Ulysses turns out to have super strength, flight, and enhanced durability.
- Glass Smack and Slide: After Rita the waitress tries to pet Ulysses thinking he's a cat under the jacket in a box, Ulysses goes flying out of the box, then slams and slides down the donut display case.
- Happens again shortly afterwards with the feral cat near George's apartment after they make it into the complex door
- Karma Houdini: the Buckmans receive no punshment for breaking into the animal control facility and assaulting Miller.
- Logo Joke: The Disney logo transforms into a comic book pop-art style.
- Misplaced Wildlife: The movie takes place in the US, but Ulysses looks like a European red squirrel.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Ulysses, a superpowered squirrel, teams up with Flora, a ten-year-old girl obsessed with superheroes.
- Obfuscating Disability: William fakes blindness until he and the Buckmans infiltrate the animal control center.
- Parental Abandonment: William's backstory turns out to be that his Mom sent him away after his dad died and, disliking his new stepfather, William destroyed his car.
- Product Placement:
- Flora gives Ulysses a Pop-Tart to eat.
- Ulysses wins Flora's mother's heart by offering her an M&M, the M on the candy prominently displayed. Later, in the climactic fight in the animal control center, Flora tells Miller that squirrels love M&Ms.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Miller, who believes Ulysses is infected with rabies despite listening to a waitress say it.
- Save the Villain: Downplayed, but Ulysses lifts Miller's truck to prevent him from crashing immediately after the latter tries to take the former again.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Miller arrives after Flora releases Ulysses, the Buckmans show him several hundred of his kin he'd have to deal with to get to Ulysses. Miller bounces.
- Shout-Out: Flora steals her mother's beloved statue of Jack and Rose to hold it hostage until her mother returns Ulysses to her. At the hostage exchange Flora accidentally drops the statue, breaking Jack and Rose apart; Jack sinks into the water and disappears while Rose lands on a piece of floating bark.
- The Stinger: Miller is at Rita's house after what seems to be a successful date. But any hopes he had of getting together with her are dashed when its revealed she adopted Mr. Klaus.
- They Would Cut You Up: Ulysses has to go on the run from animal control to avoid having his brain dissected (nominally to check for rabies though there's no reason to believe he has it).
- Three-Point Landing: Ulysses does a superhero landing during his diner-destroying leap which convinces the Buckmans of his superheroic status.
- Throwing Off the Disability: When they infiltrated the animal control center, William managed to destress enough to be rid of his hysterical blindness.
