Wonderwell

It's like Adam Sandler tried to do a Traffic sequel The careless treatment of trauma and female puberty makes me think that Carrie Fisher didn't have the whole script before she signed on. She is the only reason we started the movie at all.

It's confusing, and I feel such compassion for the young actors in this movie. They could have been good, the script, direction and cinematography is what's bad. The dad ends up coming across weirdly creepy, this is in no way a family movie. My kids are mature, this is not appropriate for kids, and I'm not a prude or overly religious or shaming. This was upsetting and gross.

After the credits, I felt an urge to find out more about how Violet's life changed following her trip to Wonderwell. She could embark on new adventures and, generally, it'll be cool if the sequel explains the mythology of the Wonderwell universe, explores the history, origins, and lore of the fantastical elements introduced in the first movie. In Wonderwell, all those are taken for granted but I'm an inquisitive creature, so I'm looking forward to Wonderwell 2!" Hope to see a story about grown-up girl Violet and her adventures through her adult life. Although will be interesting to see grown-up children&parents line.

The production quality of the film is excellent, which gives the expectation for a good film, especially if intrigued by the trailer.

However, the film is just plain weird and not in a good way. The story seems to never really start, doesn't really know where it's trying to go and never really arrives anywhere.

I think, emphasis on think, it's trying to be clever as a metaphorical coming of age warning about sexual exploitation in the fashion industry? But the film doesn't achieve this aim and besides the very start and very end, the fantasy aspect is effectively irrelevant.

If aimed for children/young teens, it seems inappropriately overly sexual with a cast of all young minors and if aimed at adults it's just fundamentally built for the wrong audience with the irrelevant fantasy tale - which by the way makes no sense and I have no clue what happened, something about a key getting passed between witch sisters?!?

My wife wrapped after about 30 mins in, I committed to give it a chance but it never took off and then just ended, whilst simultaneously being weirdly inappropriate for the nature of film.

Don't recommend, even for intrigue.

Setting & Cinematography: 5/5. The blend of Italy's beauty with the fantasy world captivates right from the get-go. Story & Script: 4/5.

While the heart of Wonderwell is enchanting, certain areas, especially Yana and Hazel relationship motives, needed more explanation. Performances: 5/5. Carrie Fisher shines, anchoring the story with raw emotion. Pacing: 3.5/5. Some moments felt a tad rushed, pulling away from the overall immersion.

Comments: I watched Wonderwell with my child, and the tale's magic gripped him thoroughly. The mix of a modern setting with a fairy-tale twist was an instant hit. Despite some narrative hiccups, the film's emotional core and mesmerizing visuals make it a memorable watch, especially for younger viewers who find themselves swept up in its charm. A delightful pick for family movie nights.

I'll start off by saying that this movie looks gorgeous, the visual effects and the costuming and the set design were all on point. And that's as far as I can compliment it.

The writing felt like a five year old's meandering word vomit, so many plot points were started only to not really go anywhere. There was no real resolution to anything of significance, no explanation for what did happen, and no real moral point. The character growth was unnatural, the dialogue was embarrassing... With how long this movie took to make there's really no excuse for it turning out like that. So yes, it's beautiful, but otherwise frustrating.