Steven Universe: The Movie is as much an ode to the value of growing and changing as it is a celebration of the series

Variety

The feature-length movie musical is the beloved animated series' most ambitious chapter yet, says Caroline Framke. "There will always be more fights to win, more change to grapple with, and yes, even more friends to make," she adds. "There will always be moments when they are less assured of themselves and each other, and some need for reminders of who they are and what they value most. Even when they’re sure they’ve figured things out, there will always be room for growing up. Steven Universe has infused its world with these themes from the beginning, but with The Movie, the series gets to take a victory lap and underline them in neon. Now that the series has reset so many of its biggest conflicts, it may have to find new ways of exploring them — but given its many years of meticulous and wildly imaginative storytelling, future ingenuity feels like a safe bet."

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• Steven Universe: The Movie may feel repetitive, but the repetition is by design: "The feature-length musical is a beautiful encore of sorts for the series, a reinforcement of central themes and concepts that (creator Rebecca) Sugar and her team have woven across six years and 160 episodes," says Noel Kirkpatrick. "It may feel repetitive, but the repetition is by design, a reminder to Steven (Zach Callison) and to the audience that growth and change are vital parts of our existence."
• Steven Universe: The Movie plays less as a sequel to the series so far than a Greatest Hits collection — almost a primer for newcomers
• The movie gives Steven a new superpower: The ability to grow up