Alexis Brown

Not sure why the ratings are so low. It’s a fun movie, paced well, stellar performance from Lupita and co., and everything made sense. There were no scenes that seemed extra, and there was a sweet story at the heart of it. It’s not the most complex movie, but it doesn’t try to be. It just did what it set out to do and did it well.

I was surprised by this movie and really liked it. What some people are calling “dry” or “bland” is actually the movie taking a more mature approach to death than most children’s movies do. [spoilers ahead] In the end, it’s a story about a kid learning it’s not his fault that his mother has cancer and he actually can’t stop death from happening; that he should instead cherish his time with her rather than seeing her loss as a burden. I can see that being a really important message for a kid who’s experiencing something similar, or even an adult who feels like they “could have done more” to save a loved one. His hope made the adventure happen, but in the end it was love and presence that were real. Another thing I loved about this movie was its emphasis on reading, drawing, and using maps instead of smartphones. It captured the kind of outdoors adventure that 90s kids were the last to have, before the Internet. It reminded me of reading books like Bridge to Terebithia. That was a time when you could still believe in magical things in the woods and it was nice to see that celebrated on screen. It was also refreshing to see a movie about a black family where the plot wasn’t related to their race. That so rarely happens. I agree there could have been more exploration of Jo’s abusive father, but for a kid’s adventure/fantasy movie they did a pretty good job of at least introducing a pretty heavy — but common — occurrence. It’s important for families to be able to have conversations about that. And it also showed how Jo’s history with abuse affected her ability to trust others, and the way she treated others due to her own trauma. They didn’t sugarcoat her ending or make it overly happy, but they did show her finding some acceptance and love with Gunner’s family. That realism is commendable, and rare, in a movie for kids. I thought the music, cinematography, and acting was great. An all-around well-made, 90 minute movie, with some unique animation as well.