By Rachel Abbott
After an eight-month hiatus at the end of season five, the LGBTQ cartoon favorite Steven Universe is back in action, now as a feature-length musical movie. Written, directed, and produced by series creator Rebecca Sugar (she/her and they/them), the movie marks not an end to the show, but rather a fresh look at this era of children’s programming. Steven Universe has provided great queer-positive family programming since 2013, and the new movie is no exception.
Photo: Cartoon Network
Steven Universe: The Movie takes place two years after the events of season five. All beings are living in harmony, the Crystal Gems are building a new miniature Homeworld on Earth, and the biggest conflict of the summer is that Connie is spending time away at space camp. Steven is a teenager now, but he’s got five seasons of wholesome character development behind him. The movie begins with the last season’s happily ever after. Laying in a field on a beautiful summer afternoon, Steven remarks, “I want to stay exactly like this and never change.”
Of course, things immediately do change. A great cloud and floating mechanical drill obscure the sky, operated by a never-before-seen gem with a wild expression in her eyes. A confusing battle ensues. The new gem, who we learn is named Spinel, is furious and unhinged, but neither Steven nor his companions have any clue why. After brief combat, the gems—Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet’s components Ruby and Sapphire, and Spinel herself—are all hit with scythe and “poof,” are transformed into their rock forms. When they awaken, they have no memory of Earth nor of themselves. Meanwhile, the evil drill has plunged into the Earth and is slowly poisoning it from the inside out. Steven, injured in the fight, needs to help both his friends and Spinel regain their memories before Earth runs out of time.
The new movie is the most ambitious Steven Universe project yet. The movie runs a full hour and a half, which is a steep departure from the typical 12-minute mini-episodes. Despite the longer run time, the animators spared no labor in crafting a visual treat. The movie opens with a storybook-esque credit sequence before transitioning into the pastel and fanciful cartoon style of the previous seasons. There are several musical numbers throughout the feature, giving the star-studded cast of voice actors a chance to shine. However, the most dazzling part of the movie comes in the villain herself—Spinel.
Spinel is a kicky new antagonist with a familiar backstory. She was a former friend and playmate of Pink Diamond, but when Pink left for Earth and became Rose Quartz, Spinel was left behind under a false pretense. After 6,000 years in isolation waiting for Pink to return, Spinel’s mind and spirit broke, and her descent into madness made her angry enough to want to destroy Earth entirely.
“Spinel’s design borrows from the origin of cartoons, takes it through a dark turn, and morphs it into something equal parts menacing and heart wrenching.” Photo: Cartoon Network
In appearance, Spinel lands somewhere between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and an old-school Mickey Mouse cartoon. Whereas the rest of the show’s animation is whimsical but rooted in reality, Spinel’s style is exaggerated and impossible. Picture Steamboat Willie, but Technicolor and evil. She has noodle-like limbs that end in comically large gloves and shoes, and her heart-shaped buns are reminiscent of mouse ears. She can stretch an arm dozens of yards long; she can bend her body at impossible angles; and she can twist her hand into the shape of a horn that actually makes a sound. It feels at once familiar and brand new, because there hasn’t been a character like Spinel on TV in decades. It’s a fascinating move on Sugar’s part, and it works. Spinel’s design borrows from the origin of cartoons, takes it through a dark turn, and morphs it into something equal parts menacing and heart wrenching.
And of course, I can’t talk about Steven Universe without talking about the queer and feminist representation. The movie uses its memory-loss plotline to remind viewers of the beautiful Sapphic representation in seasons past—namely, the love shared between Ruby and Sapphire, and the unrequited love that Pearl held for Rose Quartz. Although we’re simply revisiting those plotlines in the movie, it doesn’t feel repetitive. Rather, the show regularly nods to the enduring power of love between women, both platonic and romantic. After all, the gems are ultimately a found family of women who are stronger united than apart. The message at the end of any Steven Universe episode is that the love in the world is stronger than the pain, and that’s true in this movie as well.
All in all, Steven Universe: The Movie is an absolute delight, sure to please loyal fans of the show and new watchers alike. Rebecca Sugar continues to craft a story that’s uplifting, charming, and ever queer-friendly.
The movie is now available to stream on YouTube and Amazon and will be released on DVD in November 2019.
