Any time Brad Bird is showing a new movie, we warn you. after doing films like The Iron Giant, Ratatouilleand the incredibles at least he deserves it. But when this new movie is an idea that Bird has been thinking about for decades a private detective in a futuristic landscape With an alien helper, we just don’t know. We are confused with excitement.
This called the movie Ray Gunnand after years of stops, starts and delays, it’s finally coming to Netflix on December 18th. Bird discussed the film in a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the highlight of which was a screening of the first seven minutes of the film. And even in the first seven minutes you feel that this is something different and unique.
The footage shows Ray (Sam Rockwell) and his alien sidekick Ei-ran (Tom Waits) breaking into a building to retrieve some classified documents. Eye-ra is a one-eyed green alien with spider legs, so in this world he certainly blends in. Posing as a janitor, he drives a supply truck past security and takes a super elevator up to almost 800 floors. The sensation is similar to one of those carnival rides where centrifugal force pulls you up against the wall.
Once outside, he opens his cart to reveal Rey stuck inside. They enter the office, look around and see that the desk in the middle of the room has a hidden lock. Working together, they uncover a file folder and open it. That’s what they’re looking for. Eye-ra uses his eye as a camera and takes photos of the documents when he realizes there are two creatures flying towards them in jetpacks. They hide in a closet as two other aliens enter the room from outside.
The two see someone beating them for the papers and start looking around with their guns. Just then someone is at the door and they are hiding. Four people are now hiding in this room when Vanzine enters a giant alien that looks a bit like Oogie Boogie in a suit. He realizes he’s been robbed and threatens to start filming unless someone reveals himself. In which he fires into the curtain and nails one of the guys with the jet pack.
An action scene ensues and the locker where Rey and Eye-ra are hiding in the scrum is broken into. Vanz grabs Rey, whom he recognizes, and they draw guns. They have a funny conversation about her having a new outfit that hides a few more arms and how she doesn’t think Ray is going to shoot her. However, she thinks he’s going to shoot her, so she shoots him in the arm. The fight continues with all of Vanzi’s arms exposed until Ray uses a high-powered conditioner to drive Vanzi’s head into an ice block.
He was defeated. But when he leaves, he realizes that she can’t breathe. He doesn’t want to kill her, so he punches her in the head a few times to break the ice before running away.
It’s basically the film’s cold open. We do not know who these documents belong to or what they are about. But what you get is a sense of tone. Although the film has some wild creatures, it is more like a traditional detective film. It is methodical. This is smart. This is skinny. You understand that this is not a children’s movie at all. It’s a Brad Bird movie.
We will have more Ray Gunn in the coming months. Stay tuned to io9 for more from San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
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