Sneaks – Film Review

In the ever-expanding universe of animated family films, Sneaks arrives with laces tied and a confident stride, but quickly stumbles into a tangled mess of clichés, tonal confusion, and wasted potential. Directed by Rob Edwards (making his feature directorial debut) and Chris Jenkins, from a script by Edwards himself, this animated sports comedy had the blueprint for success: a star-studded voice cast, a creative setting, and a charmingly offbeat concept centered on sentient sneakers. Unfortunately, what could have been a playful and emotionally resonant journey ends up as a clunky, overwrought film that never finds its rhythm.

It’s sad because the premise actually has some potential. We’re introduced to Ty (voiced with low-key bravado by Anthony Mackie), a pristine white designer sneaker who lives in the luxury of his velvet-lined shoe box. His sister, Maxine (Chloe Bailey), is more adventurous and quickly bonds with Edson, the basketball-loving kid who wins the pair at an event. Ty, however, isn’t ready to get scuffed up in the real world, preferring a life of comfort over chaos. When the siblings are stolen and separated by The Collector (Laurence Fishburne), a disgraced ex-athlete-turned-footwear hoarder, Ty is forced out of his comfort zone to rescue Maxine. What follows is an adventure through a shoe-centric version of New York City, complete with underground footwear networks, makeshift courts, and streetwise soles.

If that sounds like a fun spin on Toy Story with a sporty twist, you’re not wrong—but Sneaks lacks the emotional nuance, clever writing, or world-building sophistication of its Pixar predecessor. Instead, it doubles down on puns, half-baked social commentary, and a string of tonal shifts that leave it wobbling on uncertain footing.

One of the film’s biggest issues is its identity crisis. Is it a heartfelt story about overcoming fear and embracing the unknown? A critique of materialism and sneaker culture? A sports movie about teamwork and belief? Or just a madcap buddy comedy set in a quirky world? Sneaks tries to be all of these things at once, but never commits to any of them in a meaningful way. The result is a movie that feels like it was pitched in a boardroom by people who loved the idea of a cool, urban animated film but didn’t quite know how to execute it beyond surface-level appeal.

Anthony Mackie brings a weary earnestness to Ty, but even his voice work can’t overcome the script’s lack of character development. Ty is written as a one-note neurotic—afraid of dirt, chaos, and anything outside the box. His growth arc is telegraphed from the start, and while the intention is for viewers to root for his transformation, the journey lacks tension or surprise. Chloe Bailey’s Maxine fares slightly better, injecting charm and sass into her role, but she spends most of the film sidelined. Their bond is supposed to be the heart of the story, but it’s only given superficial attention.

The supporting cast is similarly wasted. Martin Lawrence voices JB, a sneaker with plenty of street smarts but little to do beyond deliver comic relief and shoe-themed catchphrases. Laurence Fishburne tries to elevate The Collector with his signature gravitas, but the character is a confusing mix of menacing and pathetic, with motivations that are murky at best. The Forger (voiced by Roddy Ricch) is meant to be the big bad, a shadowy boss who mutilates shoes into counterfeit kicks—but he appears so briefly and with such little development that his presence feels tacked on for the sake of a final act twist.

When it comes to its animation, Sneaks is hit or miss. The animation boasts slick textures and vibrant backdrops, particularly when the camera soars through stylized versions of Manhattan’s alleys and courts. The character design for the sneakers themselves is inventive, with expressive laces and flexible soles that allow for a surprising range of emotion. But for every visually arresting moment, there’s another marred by awkward pacing or lackluster action choreography. The film rarely builds momentum in its set pieces—chase scenes fizzle out, and the climactic basketball showdown is so poorly edited it’s hard to follow the stakes, let alone feel invested.

The film also leans heavily on shoe-related wordplay, some of which is amusing in a groan-worthy kind of way. But it’s a crutch that quickly wears thin, especially when the dialogue is already weighed down with exposition and motivational platitudes. There’s a half-hearted attempt at social commentary about the commercialization of sneaker culture—through The Collector’s obsession and the unethical work of The Forger—but it’s handled so clumsily and shallowly that it lands with all the subtlety of a dropped anvil.

What’s most disappointing about Sneaks is that you can feel the better movie buried inside it. Rob Edwards, who previously wrote the incredible The Princess and the Frog, clearly has a knack for character-driven storytelling and rich world-building. But his directorial debut suffers from a lack of focus and polish. There are glimpses of heart in Ty’s journey—especially in the idea of self-worth not being defined by outer perfection—but those moments are fleeting, often smothered by loud music cues, clunky dialogue, and scattershot humor.

Even younger audiences, who might be more forgiving of the film’s narrative messiness, may find their attention drifting due to the film’s inconsistent pacing and uneven tone. Meanwhile, adults hoping for the kind of layered storytelling that makes Pixar and DreamWorks movies cross-generational hits will likely walk away underwhelmed, if not downright frustrated.

In the end, Sneaks feels like a pair of flashy designer sneakers that look good on the shelf but fall apart the moment you actually wear them out. It’s a film that tries to run before it can walk, tripping over its own ambition and lack of cohesion. For a story about stepping out of your comfort zone and finding your purpose, it’s ironic that Sneaks plays things so safe and conventional.