Viewed in
2010
Formats
Netflix HD streaming (Xbox 360)
Premise
A young American boy escapes bullies by hiding in a mysterious fantasy adventure book.
Loved
The imaginative creations, the amazing animatronics.
Thoughts
A classic that still holds up.
Sadly, I never saw it as a kid, but I think I would have enjoyed it very much, if I wasn't freaked out by the fantastical creatures. With elaborate sets, decent blue-screen technology, Godzilla-like camera tricks, and animatronics/puppetry that rivaled Jim Henson's works, the film wowed me with some whimsical settings and inhabitants. I liked how each character had a twist of some sort, instead of stock elves, dwarfs and dragons. Coolest character was the doggie-dragon, Falkor, who was adorable and impressive in scale.
The story was pretty good. There were charming characters left and right, and had the right amount of scariness to give it a sense of danger.
Having said that, there were two issues that I noticed as an adult. First was that the twist in the plot was pretty obvious early on. Second was that while it was a fun journey, I had my doubts about the film's message. I am not saying all kid movies need to teach morals, but I seriously doubt the validity in resolving bullies by dreaming.
With excellent special effects and creativity, Wolfgang Peterson crafted a memorable family-friendly adventure full of interesting critters and diverse landscapes that should tickle a child's imagination.
What I would change
Nothing.
Random
Well, now I know where the band, Atreyu, got their name from. Also, I cannot believe it was the same Deep Roy (Oompa Loompas [Tim Burton version]) as the Mad Hatter-looking Teeny Weeny.
