Hong Bum-ki
Overview
Back at home, Chuck relates the island shenanigans of his larva pals Red and Yellow to a skeptical reporter in this movie sequel to the hit cartoon.
Cast
6 people
Reviews
7 min readThe Fart That Ate the Island
I’ll admit it: I went into The Larva Island Movie expecting a certain kind of dumb. What I didn’t expect was for that dumb to be so relentless. Not the kind of dumb that makes you laugh, or even the kind that makes you groan in affectionate recognition.
No, this is the dumb of a film that mistakes repetition for rhythm, volume for energy, and flatulence for wit. It’s the kind of dumb that makes you question whether anyone involved ever stopped to ask: Is this actually funny, or are we just tired?
The premise is simple enough. Chuck, the human survivor of a shipwreck, is being interviewed by a reporter about his time on a deserted island with two larvae—Red, a tiny, aggressive hothead, and Yellow, a hulking, perpetually gassy blob. The framing device is thin, little more than an excuse to stitch together a series of flashbacks that feel less like a cohesive narrative and more like a highlight reel of the Larva shorts that came before.
And that, in the end, is the film’s biggest problem: it doesn’t so much tell a story as it does remind you that you’ve already seen most of this before.
There’s something almost meta about the way The Larva Island Movie operates. It’s a film that exists because Netflix needed content—more content, any content—and the Larva franchise, with its built-in audience of kids and its easily repackaged shorts, was low-hanging fruit. The result is a movie that feels less like a creative endeavor and more like an algorithm’s wet dream.
Decider, in their review, called it a "crass repackaging of previously released material," and they’re not wrong. But the real insult isn’t that it’s recycled; it’s that the recycling is so obvious. The seams show.
The flashbacks don’t flow so much as they lurch, like a PowerPoint presentation where someone forgot to smooth the transitions.
Take the humor, for instance. Or, more accurately, take the lack of it. The film leans almost exclusively on two things: screaming and farting.
Not just as occasional gags, but as the entire foundation of its comedy. Yellow, the larger larva, is essentially a walking, crawling, squirming flatulence machine. He farts to propel himself across the island.
He farts to start fires. He farts to communicate. He farts because he’s happy, because he’s scared, because he’s bored.
There’s a moment early on where Red, the smaller larva, gets trapped under a rock, and Yellow’s solution isn’t to lift it—it’s to fart so hard that the rock launches into the air. The gag isn’t just that it works; it’s that it works again, and then again, and then one more time just to make sure you got the joke.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.5/10
"A colorful and energetic animated adventure that charms younger audiences but feels too simplistic for older viewers."
The movie’s vibrant animation and playful humor resonate well with children, offering a lighthearted escape to a tropical island filled with quirky characters. latestnetflix.com's take is that however, the thin plot and lack of depth leave older viewers and animation enthusiasts wanting more substance, often dismissing it as just another extended episode of the series.
What viewers praise
- Vibrant animation The bright, colorful visuals and expressive character designs are widely praised for their appeal to younger audiences.
- Playful humor The slapstick comedy and exaggerated antics of the characters provide plenty of laughs for kids.
- Family-friendly The movie’s lighthearted tone and lack of intense or scary moments make it a safe choice for younger viewers.
Common complaints
- Thin plot The story is criticized for being too simplistic and lacking the depth or originality to engage older viewers.
- Repetitive humor Some viewers find the comedy repetitive, relying too heavily on slapstick and physical gags without enough variety.
- Lacks depth The characters and world-building are seen as underdeveloped, making it feel more like an extended episode than a standalone film.
Recommended for
Young children Fans of slapstick comedy Lighthearted animation lovers Netflix family movie nights
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Larva Island Movie (2020): Netflix’s Animated Adventure
The Larva Island Movie (2020) brought the chaotic charm of the Larva franchise to the big screen—or at least, to Netflix’s global audience. Directed by Ahn Byoung-wook, the film expanded the misadventures of Red and Yellow, the show’s iconic worm duo, into a feature-length escapade. But how did this animated comedy land on streaming, and what went into its production? Here’s what the evidence reveals.
From TV to Netflix: The Franchise’s Big Leap
The Larva series, known for its slapstick humor and minimal dialogue, had already carved out a niche in kids’ animation. The Larva Island Movie marked its first foray into feature-length storytelling, trading the familiar sewer setting for a tropical island. The shift wasn’t just a change of scenery—it was a test of whether the franchise’s brand of humor could sustain a 76-minute runtime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rzoiXOyhio
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Netflix’s involvement was key. Trailers and promotional clips explicitly label the film as a "Netflix Family" release , suggesting the platform saw potential in the franchise’s international appeal. The movie’s premise—Red and Yellow stranded on a volcanic island—mirrored the show’s knack for physical comedy, but with higher stakes. Clips from the film show the duo battling oversized insects, dodging lava, and, of course, bickering their way to survival . Whether this was a one-off experiment or the start of a series remains unclear, but the move to Netflix signaled confidence in the Larva brand beyond its original TV audience.
The Cast and Crew: Who Brought the Worms to Life?
Ahn Byoung-wook, the film’s director, had previously worked on the Larva TV series, making him a natural choice to helm the movie. His involvement ensured continuity in the franchise’s visual style and comedic tone. However, details about the production process are scarce. The cast list includes voice actors Hong Bum-ki, Kang Shin-hyung, Eddy Lee, Ahn Hyo-min, Kim Yeon-woo, and Choi Nak-yoon [Catalog], but their specific roles—beyond voicing the core characters—aren’t detailed in the available evidence.
One notable absence: the Rotten Tomatoes page for the film lists Kang Si-hyeon as part of the cast 
, but this name doesn’t appear in the official catalog or other sources. It’s possible this is a discrepancy or a miscredit, as the film’s primary cast is otherwise consistent across references.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRRueJZmYwI
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As for the animation itself, the movie sticks to the franchise’s signature 2D style, though the island setting allowed for more dynamic backgrounds and creature designs. Trailers hint at a mix of familiar Larva gags and new challenges, like the duo’s attempts to escape the island . Whether the film’s production faced any hurdles—budget constraints, creative differences—remains unconfirmed.
Reception and Rumors: Did the Movie Deliver?
Critical reception for The Larva Island Movie is thin, but the available evidence suggests it was a modest success with its target audience. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes page exists , but no score or reviews are visible in the snippet, leaving its critical standing unclear. The lack of widespread discussion outside promotional trailers and YouTube clips implies it didn’t spark major controversy or acclaim.
One point of confusion: a French review site mistakenly conflates The Larva Island Movie with The Island of Giant Insects (2020), a Japanese horror film . The latter has a low 3.3/10 rating, but this has no bearing on the Larva movie. The mix-up highlights how easily similarly named projects can blur in search results, but The Larva Island Movie is distinct in its comedic, family-friendly approach.
Rumors about a sequel or spin-off haven’t surfaced in the evidence. If Netflix saw value in the film, it may have been as a test case for the franchise’s global appeal rather than a launchpad for a new series. For now, the movie stands as a standalone experiment—one that leaned into the Larva brand’s strengths while venturing into new territory.
The Bottom Line
The Larva Island Movie (2020) was a calculated gamble: take a beloved but niche TV property, give it a feature-length story, and release it on a platform with global reach. The evidence suggests it delivered exactly what it promised—chaotic, colorful, and kid-friendly entertainment—without overstaying its welcome. Whether it left a lasting mark on the Larva franchise or animation as a whole is harder to say. For fans of the show, it was a fun detour; for everyone else, it was a footnote in Netflix’s vast library of animated content.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.