Splendid soundtrack, average film.

Rating: 5/10 (12 January 2014)

After years of hearing how incredible this film is I decided to give it a go. I should say that I don't usually watch anime but I do love animated features such as Lion King, Toy Story and Ratatouille.
I could understand what the film was trying to do by letting the viewer experience a fairytale world come to life. The animation was also vibrant and quite incredible from an artistic and technical point of view.
However, I could not help but feel let down by the lack of substance in the story telling. I did not get most of the characters and didn't like many of the characters other than the protagonist who was okay. Her parents, who are meant to be the reason she goes through this difficult journey, seem like snobs and as such the little girl's trials ultimately feel pointless.
Although I should add that the last 15 minutes are very touching and make the film seem worthwhile watching.
Definitely watch it to see if it's your cup of tea but as I much as I like animated films, I will not be returning to this one as I have to countless other Pixar/Disney films.