Jaw-droppingly spectacular

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2003)

I can't avoid the cliche: This movie is an instant classic, made with exacting attention to the true art of cinematic story telling. What begins as a hilarious and mind-bending take on the hidden world lurking in the closets of our childhood nightmares, becomes a heart-pounding adventure for the welfare of a little girl that is punctuated perfectly with comedic flourishes and sentiment that will jerk a tear or two from the corner of your eyes. And I thought Shrek was the end all with its rich characters and classic in-jokes--but this animated delight is the reason why Character and not Plot should dominate a film. Rent it now. But if you don't like it, have yourself checked out immediately to see if your heart is still beating. Chances are you died a long, long time ago.