'WondLa' Review: The (Dystopian) Song Remains the Same

Jeanine Mason and Teri Hatcher lead the voice cast in the near-future animated adventure series, premiering globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 28.

What if we could change the future? Would we? Could we? How? 

A fine topic for family discussion, the premise of a better future holds universal appeal. As with many films and television shows set in the aftermath of a dystopian future, though, WondLa starts with  its protagonists in an underground bunker, where they have survived the horrors of a worldwide disaster. 

Eva is the only human still alive in the bunker. Raised from infancy by a robot caretaker, young Eva, voiced by Jeanine Mason as she turns 16, has been training intensively under the caretaker's intense, protective scrutiny for the past 10 years. 

Muthr, as Eva calls the robot, is voiced by Teri Hatcher, who brings motherly love and tender concern to the robot. These early scenes are pitched very appealingly to younger viewers, with a gentle muscal montage included, and I began to wonder if the series held any appeal for older viewers, beyond the admittedly beautiful animation by Skydance Animation (Luck, also on Apple TV+). 

Eva is 16, though, and she is eager to explore the world that she is told exists just beyond the huge security door, outside the bunker. When the bunker comes under attack, however, and is forced outside, she finds the world to be unimaginably foreboding. The entire sequence quickly ramps up the action and tension, making me think very young viewers might be scared out of their wits, so parental units beware.

After the first episode concludes, the purpose of the show becomes more apparent: this is a grand adventure through a strange new world in search of something significant.  Ah, OK, back on famliar ground. From that point forward, WondLa is dependent on its characters, who become charming traveling companions.

Jeanine Mason and Teri Hatcher effectively convey the feelings of an adolescent girl and her mother in a manner that feels universal and entirely relatable. Young Eva has a rebellious streak, but more often it manifests in indepdendent action, which she'll need to exercise in order to survive in this challenging future. Muthr truly sounds like a robotic mother, displaying maternal feelings that are guided by her programming. 

Brad Garrett adorably voices a giant otter bear who communicates telepathically with Eva, ahd the foursome is completed by Gary Anthony Williams voicing Rovender, a mighty tracker and hunter who only joins forces with the others reluctantly. 

Together, they form an unlike bunch of friends and fellow travelers, each manifesting different emotional qualities that ultimately are meant to help Eva achieve her goal of finding any other humans who may still exist in a future that is lush and beauitful, for all the dangers that abound. 

First published in 2010, Tony DiTerlizzi's novel The Search for WondLa kicked off a book series that is the basis for the animated version, developed by Bobs Gannaway.  Apple TV+ is premiering all seven episodes of the series at once, which is an unusual pattern for them. 

With each episode running no more than 30 minutes, though, it's an easy watch, delightful with a bit of intrigue, especially for younger viewers. It's likely that any thinking adult will be able to guess the outcome of every adventure, and even be able to guess what the ‘mystery’ of the title means, but that's OK, since the gorgeous animation provides pleasant eye candy for weekend viewing. [Apple TV+]