Cartoons in primary colors

Rating: 5/10 (12 September 2015)

On one level this is an enjoyable, sculpted film, competently acted and directed. On another level it renders Brian Wilson's compelling story as a cartoon, with one dimensional villain, and henchmen, and spotless do nothing wrong heroes, in the angelic only-missing-a-halo Girlfriend and the charmingly whacky Wilson himself. His band of brothers are cut out 60's clichés, Mike love clearly cast in his darker shade and the others in shades of invisible. None of these characters are rendered in any detail beyond what we'd expect in a children's cartoon. And when you notice that it makes the whole film a much lesser event that's hard to take seriously, and that does a disservice to Wilson's story. While I enjoyed the recording and youthful Wilson sections the set ups are just too bombastic to nail home the agenda of Evil shrink, Henchmen, Angelic GF, Simple naive central figure etc. No subtlety, no real shades, just primary colors.