Extraordinarily imaginative

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2007)

Highly whimsical and imaginative fable, with an intriguing concept and compelling story. Though it's more of a character drama than a pure fantasy, it manages to blend elements of both while still remaining interesting. Even though I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more fantasy to it (mainly because the parts that were fantastical were so fantastic), I became so involved in the story that it really didn't matter. I found the parallels between the real word and the fantasy world very subtle, but effective nonetheless. And, though I had to read subtitles, I became fully immersed in both stories, and felt like neither lagged or paled in comparison to the other. Just a very well-told fairy tale.
Technically, it's one of the most extraordinary films I've seen. Great cinematography, beautiful music, and terrific makeup effects. The creature designs are so imaginative and carried out so well that they are, by far, the highlight among highlights. I found all the acting pretty good, too, and the little girl didn't annoy me like so many other child actors. I found Mercedes and the Captain to be the stand-outs, though, as they made me feel for or hate their characters. All of this is capped off by a terrific screenplay. So, really, just an outstanding film.