This is a fantastic movie for children. Jim Hensen at his best. It is not for young children as it has scary elements, and even some of the characters would be scary for little ones. I would wait until Finn is 8. Serenity could be 8 when she firsts sees it, but not with him. ( )

Gorgeous, evocative and immersive, and with a very fun core concept and t heme at heart -- but the plot and pace are both rather too meandering for my tastes. Recently rewatched it after finishing the excellent Netflix prequel series, and found that impression still held (though I now have added fondness to it due to it spawning that spin-off). But the pacing aside, I'm awed by the effort and sheer scope of this film in its own right, and as a fantasy fan, I'm thrilled it and its magnificent world still exists in the public consciousness. Will definitely watch this a third and likely a fourth time, too. ( )

The kids liked this one back in the day, but I always thought it was too, um, dark. ( )

An orphan is sent on a quest to save the world from creepy-ass bird monsters.

How did this ever get made? Here's a tip: when releasing a ground-breaking film with the potential to transform cinema, don't open it opposite fucking E.T.. Just saying, might make you look bad.

Concept: A
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: A

Enjoyment: A plus

GPA: 3.4/4

(Oct. 2011) ( )

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
(source: TMDb)