I'm a little disappointed.

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2019)

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed. Del Toro's fingerprints are all over this film and that means there's a lot to love -- everything from the wonderfully strange premise to the gorgeous production design and overall visuals are unmistakably him. Sally Hawkins gives a stellar central performance, as does the rest of the cast; the score and featured music are lovely, adding tons to the general tone and feel. But the story. It has its heart in the right place, but as much as I love the creative idea, there's no getting around it: it doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. Yes, it's predictable, but what really hampers the affect is that I just don't buy the love between girl and fish-man. That's a problem because it's the centrepiece, the main attraction. There seems to be some essential elements missing to make it believable. So whilst it's touching, in a sense, and an enjoyable visual feast with a hint of magic, 'The Shape of Water' just doesn't soar to the heights it could have