Paper Planes - Ai confini del cielo

Way too often I see Australian reviewers take it easy on mediocre Australian films because they want to see the Australian film industry succeed. How they think that does anyone any good is perplexing. It encourages mediocrity. It causes Aussie films that are actually good (like The Babadook) to be viewed with suspicion and distrust even when they get good reviews -- because if Paper Planes can get positive ratings for being Australian, so can pretty much anything.

I'll start with the soundtrack. The only song which I imagine was originally written for the movie goes something like this: "The world is full of beauty / So boys and girls shake your booty" (the tune itself is even more devoid of appeal). And then there is what I think is THE most unthinkingly tasteless use of music in a film EVER when the lead boy's grandfather shows up with baked goods while "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard" plays. WTF!?!?!?! I'm no prude. That might have worked in an Abrams and Zucker film, but here it is totally out of place. Considering how clueless much of the direction of the film is, I couldn't even bring myself to see it as some sort of deliberately perverse joke. Sort of like people who cluelessly play "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" at funerals, or "Every Breath You Take" at weddings. No, that wasn't creepy at all.

So on to the plot: Sam Worthington is wasted as a man who just spends the entire film moping. He is such a useless weight you just want to slap him. And he's the film's sole source of emotional gravitas. Next, for suspense we have this unusual plot device: The lead boy goes from making the greatest paper airplane ever to instantly forgetting how to make one (I mean, he cannot make a plane that goes more than a few inches), etc -- whatever thecontrived plot needs at the moment. I will avoid getting into that in any more detail to avoid spoiling anything, but the film is so utterly clichéd and paint by numbers you barely have to watch any of the film to know how it will all go.

"BUT", you might say. "It is made for KIDS. They haven't seen (The Wizard / Karate Kid remake / generic kid enters competition film)." And, of course, even in predictable films it is the journey itself that counts. Well, my daughters (almost 4 and 8) haven't seen any of those other films yet, either, and Paper Plans completely failed to hold their attention. Was it because it lacked animated characters? Or was it too mature? Hell, no. In contrast they have, e.g., watched "Bridge to Terabithia" with full attention from start to finish -- a film that actually deals with serious issues like love, loss, bullying, friendship, redemption, etc, effectively, without Sam Worthington moping around like a worthless bum for 5 out of every 10 minutes. Usually the girls comment about the movies we watch together. The only thing either brought up was when the 3 year old asked where the boy's mummy was. Paper Planes is, quite simply, barely watchable garbage. Which is a shame since Sam Worthington and David Wenham are great actors -- even this dog's breakfast of a script cannot hide that fact -- but nothing could possibly save this film.

I really wanted to love this film, and I do like it! It is a beacon in the turgid sea of recent offerings which do not appeal to a general Australian audience (hence their woeful returns at the box office - Beautiful Kate, Samson and Delilah ... I could go on) The premise is intriguing and the story is compelling, the acting generally competent. My main complaint is directed at the clunky dialogue. This is a general criticism but specifically aimed at the lines given to the kids as I am country born and bred, and a teacher of country kids. The conversations and interaction between kids is unconvincing, and needed a major edit. I hasten to add that the Peter Rowsthorne character seems authentic.

However it is a heartwarming and uplifting depiction of achievement against the odds and I hope that itdoes well.

Dylan Weber is a young boy in the Australian outback. His phone is old. His father (Sam Worthington) is sleeping his days away haunted by the lost of his wife. His teacher is tired of the kids with their smart phones. He has them make paper planes and Dylan's first takes off. He has many failed trials until his father shows him the winning sailboat keels. He's inspired to do research and creates a superior plane. Jason Jones is his arrogant winning-obsessed rival with former golf champion dad. It takes him to Sydney first and then Tokyo for the championship.

It's a fine uplifting family film. Considering the subject matter being kids making paper planes, the movie can't be much different than what it turns out to be. It is positive with people overcoming heartbreak. It is good people finding inspirations and bad people turning good. The villain sweeps the leg but in the end, learns a lesson. This is fine family fare.

At first this movie may seem like it is just a film about trying to build the best paper plane in the world but the film encompasses so much more than that. The actual plane building makes up some portions of the film but the rest actually is spent with getting to know the characters and seeing some relationships evolve over the course of the film. This movie had a lot of heart and many emotional scenes especially when it is following the boy's relationship with his father. You really understand these two characters and get to know them and see them really grow. Sam Worthington (Jack) and Ed Oxenbould (Dylan) were great in the film, their relationship felt real and you could buy into their actions and decisions. The overall story was carried by these two characters, mostly the child as you see him progress through the paper plane competition. It is an interesting story, although there was a section 3/4 into the movie that i felt slowed down a little too much just momentarily, but then it picked itself up ad finished off pretty strong.

Where i felt the film could have done a lot better is with the supporting cast. Well, excluding the grandpa, he was the comedic relief in the film and i would have to say he was pretty entertaining and did lighten the mood a few times. There was one bit that was a bit too silly and dramatised but he wasn't the issue. I'm mainly talking about the other child actors in the film, Dylan's school friend and his rival in the competitions i felt at times played too much to their stereotypes. I'm not sure if it was the actors or the writing but sometimes they felt, well, like a character and not a real person. There is also a subplot with another girl that was oddly introduced, it felt very out of place and took me out of it for a bit. But in the end this is a fun, heartfelt story about a boy and his father that takes place during a plane throwing competition, and if you can avoid focusing too much on some of the unrealistic plane throws you can enjoy this movie. - 7

Paper Planes is a great movie for all ages really. I as an adult really liked it. The cast is quite great and the children in the movie are completely not obnoxious. The lead of the movie (Ed Oxenbould, who happened to be at the movie's premier at TIFF along with other cast members) was terrific.

The story moves at a very good pace so you don't zone out. The story itself is not very complex which is a bonus point. Western Australia is captured nicely here, you really get a feel for what life there is like.

This movie could have been a major tearjerker but I'm glad there are strong elements of humour and lightheartedness. It feels 'real' despite being a movie about incredible paper planes! I definitely recommend this movie.