A_ Eye

I saw it with my family and while I realize it was meant for children, I expected it to be more enjoyable having seen the Minions franchise and other Illumination works. I was falling asleep in the movies for the first time, perhaps a symptom of being an adult, but I've seen plenty of great animation films with my family that resonated-- Luca and Megamind for example. The dad's change of character was sudden. He shouldn't have needed another character to make him aware how his life will play out if he never took risks or adventured. Danny Devito's character was the one driving the plot from the start, getting the rest into deeper trouble by accident. If anything, this film proved the dad duck correct in his paranoia and exaggerated fears about the world when it should have done the opposite. Half of the side characters could have been removed from the picture, and I almost forgot there was a villain. Another note- a few people were relieved that overall, this film didn't have an "agenda" (another way to say they're uncomfortable with introducing serious societal topics in media). But I understand that not all animation movies must have a deep underlying message to be enjoyable. It's a matter of preference, but there are excellent films like Penguins of Madagascar that are lighthearted and without an "agenda." It's somewhat original, sure, but to me, it wasn't imaginative or enticing enough. A good first draft for its target audience, but it could have been improved with some tweaks.