The basic premise is great and the story flow up until just before NASA takes the kid away is very good. Then, it goes in some cliche and some disappointing directions.
NASA/the government holding the boy was so painfully cliche and predictable. Yet it's not plausible AT ALL that the parents would be willing to be separated from this kid for ONE SECOND considering he just vanished for eight years.
Even aside from this disappointing choice, it came way too fast. It didn't feel like his family life before or after his disappearance was explored enough. And certainly it felt like the mystery wasn't explored enough before he was shipped off to the government.
I'm also just not a fan of the second half, with the goofy spaceship character. It feels like it's aimed at a substantially younger audience than the first half.
As another reviewer noted, it's like two different movies poorly welded together, though I would argue three.
NASA/the government holding the boy was so painfully cliche and predictable. Yet it's not plausible AT ALL that the parents would be willing to be separated from this kid for ONE SECOND considering he just vanished for eight years.
Even aside from this disappointing choice, it came way too fast. It didn't feel like his family life before or after his disappearance was explored enough. And certainly it felt like the mystery wasn't explored enough before he was shipped off to the government.
I'm also just not a fan of the second half, with the goofy spaceship character. It feels like it's aimed at a substantially younger audience than the first half.
As another reviewer noted, it's like two different movies poorly welded together, though I would argue three.