I don't want to drag the rating system down on this movie by giving it a 5, when the Good Part of the movie is truly a 10. I just wish that I could rate the movie twice. So, it's 10 stars for the art and 5 stars for the lead character's stupidity.
Here's the good: Stunning animation, visually jaw-dropping, LOVED the tiny touches of nature that almost all American Films miss: minnows in the pond, crabs grabbing a dead baby sea turtle to eat, etc. I was okay with the length and the silence of the film. I was even okay with 80% of the plot.
What I HATED about the film was what I'll call "My Logical Brain" syndrome. It bothered my husband and I so much when OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS TO SURVIVAL were blown off, that my husband just walked away after 30 minutes. I only hung onto watching the film because it was "pretty to look at".
These are the issues we/I had: 1) You're stranded on a deserted island, your raft is demolished 3 separate times and yet you are TOO STUPID AND DIMWITTED to use at least SOME of the bamboo to construct the simplest of shelter!?
2) Again, BAMBOO...Hello!? He could have constructed a shelter, used parts of the canes to store water rather than trot to an inland pond to constantly slurp up the water like a dog, and burn some of the bamboo to COOK the fish/meat he found, rather than pillaging from a decaying seal he found on the beach! They obviously know about fire, since they burn the LARGEST MASS OF BAMBOO ever seen, when a tsunami wipes out the bamboo forest! And here again, WHY would you burn it all? Why not parse it out as fuel for the rest of your life? Or, a SHELTER so you don't spend your time in the rain storms???
3) I'm cool with the transformation of the turtle into the woman and I even understand the frustration and anger that the man felt toward the turtle thwarting his escape efforts. But, after they became a family with a young child, the damn fool STILL hadn't built a shelter but sleeps on the sand on the beach! What gives? And still, NO vessels to store water or food? They act as if they've just landed on the island and not been there at least 16 years (based upon the age of the son.)
4) The male character was just plain stupid. As the film progressed, I just wanted him DEAD! He couldn't provide for himself, he couldn't provide for his family by building a shelter or providing fresh water, and he was TOO STUPID to move out of the way of a tsunami...he just stood and stared at it as his wife/partner dragged the fool away! Based on the son's age, he had to have lived on the island for at least 16 years...did you learn NOTHING!?
As I mentioned above, these issues I had are all as a reaction from my Logical Brain Center. I realize that it's completely contradictory to enjoy a FANTASY film about a transforming sea turtle and bitch about real life survival skills, but that's who I am.
If it doesn't bother you at all that the male character is as dumb as a bag of seashells, then you'll love the film.
Here's the good: Stunning animation, visually jaw-dropping, LOVED the tiny touches of nature that almost all American Films miss: minnows in the pond, crabs grabbing a dead baby sea turtle to eat, etc. I was okay with the length and the silence of the film. I was even okay with 80% of the plot.
What I HATED about the film was what I'll call "My Logical Brain" syndrome. It bothered my husband and I so much when OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS TO SURVIVAL were blown off, that my husband just walked away after 30 minutes. I only hung onto watching the film because it was "pretty to look at".
These are the issues we/I had: 1) You're stranded on a deserted island, your raft is demolished 3 separate times and yet you are TOO STUPID AND DIMWITTED to use at least SOME of the bamboo to construct the simplest of shelter!?
2) Again, BAMBOO...Hello!? He could have constructed a shelter, used parts of the canes to store water rather than trot to an inland pond to constantly slurp up the water like a dog, and burn some of the bamboo to COOK the fish/meat he found, rather than pillaging from a decaying seal he found on the beach! They obviously know about fire, since they burn the LARGEST MASS OF BAMBOO ever seen, when a tsunami wipes out the bamboo forest! And here again, WHY would you burn it all? Why not parse it out as fuel for the rest of your life? Or, a SHELTER so you don't spend your time in the rain storms???
3) I'm cool with the transformation of the turtle into the woman and I even understand the frustration and anger that the man felt toward the turtle thwarting his escape efforts. But, after they became a family with a young child, the damn fool STILL hadn't built a shelter but sleeps on the sand on the beach! What gives? And still, NO vessels to store water or food? They act as if they've just landed on the island and not been there at least 16 years (based upon the age of the son.)
4) The male character was just plain stupid. As the film progressed, I just wanted him DEAD! He couldn't provide for himself, he couldn't provide for his family by building a shelter or providing fresh water, and he was TOO STUPID to move out of the way of a tsunami...he just stood and stared at it as his wife/partner dragged the fool away! Based on the son's age, he had to have lived on the island for at least 16 years...did you learn NOTHING!?
As I mentioned above, these issues I had are all as a reaction from my Logical Brain Center. I realize that it's completely contradictory to enjoy a FANTASY film about a transforming sea turtle and bitch about real life survival skills, but that's who I am.
If it doesn't bother you at all that the male character is as dumb as a bag of seashells, then you'll love the film.
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