Jenny Bijleveld

I finally was able to watch this film and am genuinely baffled by the hypercriticism. Some of the biggest complaints of the film are it's lack of innovation in story and character, and yet they fail to mention that the film itself was meant to serve as an homage to the legacy of Disney studios and the wishing star legacy. This was exactly the point, it wasn't meant to break outside of the box of a classic Disney film. And the nods to previous works were endearing, not distracting. I actually found the pacing to be quite tame compared to other recent animated films as well. The plot made sense and there was a meaningful message. It was whimsical and had a unique blend of art style that we don't get to see often. I feel some people expect a lot of things out of a movie and don't realize the restraints on time allotted. Not every side character needs a whole backstory to justify their actions or presentation. Perhaps people would have preferred a series made for this film, to flesh out the variety of characters. But as a film, I believe they did a wonderful job creating a cast of familiar and entertaining characters. As for the decision to scrap "Starboy", I love a good love story as much as the next person, but I believe the film did a fine job without a romantic subplot. I do believe the "Power-couple" dynamic for the king and queen could have been interesting, however. And it would have provided more potential for character development. That being said, I still found this a very refreshing and nostalgic film. I hope more people give it a chance and don't just immediately jump into the hate-culture band wagon.