In the first few minutes of America: The Motion Picture, George Washington — and by extension, the audience — learn a pivotal fact: that Benedict Arnold is a bloodthirsty werewolf. Believe it or not, this information is barely among the top ridiculous twists and turns revealed in the new Netflix film, which sets out to tell an alternate version of the early days of American history in an irreverent, 2D animation format. That concept, the voice cast, and the creative team — including director Matt Thompson (Archer, Sealab 2021) and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. the Machines) — all hypothetically feel like a home run, but they all combine to make something else entirely. America: The Motion Picture is a chaotic, outrageous spectacle in every sense of the phrase, one whose ensemble cast helps it buoy above being forgettable.
