Reviews

This is a movie for tweens and older. It’s not a comedy and it’s not a kids movie. It’s a sentimental semi-artsy atmosphere piece with a slow pace. It’s ultimately about a 12 year old girl’s tragic loss, and the semi-fun/magical world that helps her cope through it. My 7 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son were both bored at several points. 90 minutes in, I was checking my watch and wondering when it was going to be over too. The funny moments in the preview are the sum of all funny moments in the film. The marketing did this film a disservice by setting the wrong expectation. Given a more correct expectation, and for a more appropriate audience, it’s a good movie on its own merits. Also, I found it oddly insensitive for a movie (supposedly) aimed at young people to have probably 25 instances of “Oh my G*d!” and often from the cartoon characters themselves. They could have used silly/funny statements of exasperation instead and got a few more laughs, but they went all in on something that a lot of kids in the target audience aren’t even allowed to say (whether for spiritual reasons or because it’s impolite and “not something the queen would say”). For some, it can feel deeply unpleasant and insensitive. Not understanding the spiritual beliefs of a certain culture does not invalidate them. We all get deep meaning from different things, and what’s helpful for one person may or may not be for another. But we’re all on the same human team, and respecting what others hold as valuable is how we get to peace, love and mutual respect.