TsarByte97’s review published on Letterboxd:
2024 Ranked
I have a sneaking suspicion that the filmmakers originally wanted this to be two hours long because there is a lot that happens in this movie. So much so, that to compensate the pacing constantly moves at breakneck speed. The entire middle chunk basically turns into a "and then this happened" sort of film. Would've definitely appreciated more slower moments where the character could just chill.
Also the dialogue was super on the nose too. Yeah I know it's a kids movie but that doesn't mean it needs to have the characters spell out everything at T. There’s even one character whose every line of dialogue was basically a Disney Channel Lesson and you’ll know who I’m talking about when you see him.
But now that I got the negatives out of the way I'll admit that yeah, this is a pretty good movie. Definitely Dreamworks' best since Puss in Boots 2. This movie did not connect with me as much as it clearly did with others on here but I cannot deny that at least it has a soul. You can tell this was made by the same director as Lilo and Stitch and HTTYD because the film perfectly blends together fantastical elements with a heartfelt story. The main cast were all really strong. They didn't make the best first impressions but after a bit I ended up getting invested in their arcs.
Plus this is the first animated movie I’ve seen in a while where I genuinely couldn't tell where it was going. Every time I thought I knew what the main conflict was going to be, it suddenly got resolved and the film moved on. Very refreshing.
EDIT: Forgot to mention this but the movie was also really funny.
7/10
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