Beautiful images; sappy, didactic screenplay

Rating: 5/10 (16 October 1999)

Animated film for won't be taken seriously by adult audiences in >the U.S. until the quality of the screenplay at least approaches >that of the animation. A live action film with this screenplay >would fall embarrassingly flat. Not surprisingly, Neil Gaiman >wrote the english adapatation in a style better suited to the >printed page. Though the animation is often stunning, the film's >great length scatters the moments of real power too widely, and >it beats it's message home with a sledgehammer. Still, what real >worth the film offers is worth the price of admission. Too bad >the english dubbing is read so poorly and flatly--more proof >that the art of voice acting is undervalued in anim