lizzie97202's Profile
Reviews
MOVIE
The Boy and the Heron
February 20, 2024
Overwhelming for young kids and tweens.
This animated film is not for young children. It’s too slow and scary for kids under age 13. Many descriptions of this movie call it a film about a boy who befriends a heron. This is (probably unintentionally) misleading. The boy’s movie dies in a fire in the first few minutes of the movie, and he is moved to the countryside to live with his new stepmother. A scary heron takes interest in him, and he eventually explores a forbidden tower which is a gateway to the underworld. It’s a very intense journey with lots of scary parts that will overwhelm young or sensitive children. It’s a beautiful film, but not for kids. I rated it for 13+ but I think even 13 year olds might lose interest or be overwhelmed.
MOVIE
Home
April 25, 2015
Cotton candy movie: sweet but not filling
Mostly forgettable. My 7yo and 3yo kids were both fairly unimpressed, and I was bored to tears. [My 7yo said it gets a "sideways thumb"...not a thumbs up.] The skillful animation can't make up for thinly drawn characters, predictable plot development, and weak jokes. For some reason, the aliens speak in a babyish, broken English that is not consistent and not amusing or easy to listen to. There are a few redeeming qualities: strong girl character who is a person of color - that's very welcome; good voice-over work; and a couple of cute jokes (that you probably already saw in the trailer). The concerns raised in other reviews about separation from a parent, big alien bad guys, and the Earth being taken over by aliens - albeit cute ones - are valid and could be disturbing for some kids. The whole thing seemed so unreal, it didn't bother my kids. In the end, just not that interesting in any way. See it streaming later if you're dying to watch it, but don't shell out movie theater money for it.