ChikaBOOM! (dir. C. Craig Patterson)

By: Adam Freed

For young New Yorker Chika, the dream of growing to become a successful magician like her father, The Amazin’ Arnie, couldn’t feel further from reality.  As the diminutive performer practices rudimentary sleight of hand before a patient audience of her stuffed animals, it becomes clear that the ambitious girl idolizes her father and seeks desperately for his approval.  The quest for this magical approval, and the moving nature of father / daughter relationships is explored in C. Craig Patterson’s star-studded animated short film ChikaBOOM!  Chika, voiced by Yara Shahidi (Black-ish, Peter Pan & Wendy) makes the error that many children do as she seeks parental approval, feeling that emulation of her father’s chosen interests is the only way to capture his attention.  Chika goes to great lengths to hone her magical craft, an exploration that places her directly in the path of Kaboom, a magical entity whose capabilities far outpace Chika’s ability for control.  

What becomes readily apparent from the onset of ChikaBOOM! is how gorgeously rendered the film is.  From the finite details of Chika’s room to the recognizable backdrop of New York’s Central Park, each second of C. Craig Patterson’s animated short is a vibrant visual feast offering a version of reality that is both identifiable and yet softened to remove any danger from the proceedings.  When Chika mistakenly encounters Kaboom, voiced notably by Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face, Russian Doll), a lesson in the uncontrollable nature of the unknown unfolds.  At just under ten minutes, ChikaBOOM! doesn’t offer the emotional or philosophical payoff that many have come to expect in the advanced age of animated films, and yet C. Craig Patterson has crafted an enjoyable bite-sized film that is suitable for the entire family.

Target Score 7/10 - ChikaBOOM! is a stunning visual accomplishment in a minute package.  At only nine minutes, director C. Craig Patterson has crafted the enjoyable story of a young girl desperate to emulate her father’s magical success. 

ChikaBOOM! was reviewed as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.