Mimzy - A Chave do Universo

The Last Mimzy is a film that I hope represents the future of children's science fiction. It is a future without bone-crunching comic book super heroes or malevolent movie bad guys or self-absorbed parents - a film that respects a child's intelligence, not to mention a kid's need to dream like a kid. I suggest Mimzy for anyone who has children, is fond of children, knows of children, or wants to simply feel really, really good about a film without being pandered to or suffer that condescending 'tude from Hollywood filmmakers who think they can sneak into your brain without you noticing.

There's an honest, earnest dreamlike quality to the film, a low-key, homespun feel to these two normal kids with two normal parents, who stumble upon a strange box-like artifact bobbing in the Seattle surf.

Ten year old Noah (Chris O'Neil) and his younger sister, Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) bring the box home. It contains several toys, including a worn, plush bunny that emits a strangely soothing electronic chirp. Emma is immediately drawn to the stuffed animal, whose name, she declares, is "Mimzy." Noah is instead infatuated with a strange rectangle of sparkling glass that seems to have advanced mathematical and geometrical powers. And very soon thereafter, their lives begin to change.

In many ways, Mimzy is a clever, sci-fi tinged mystery thriller, and the toys are clues. The film manages to hold one's attention without resorting to pratfalls or, as mentioned, archetypal villains. There are, in fact, no real antagonists in this film. A few confused or misinformed adults hinder Noah and Emma's eventual challenge, but Mimzy seems to know its course. Even the inevitable government intervention (the movie's weakest device) provides little distraction. Yes, there are a few improbabilities, but kids won't notice. For the most part, the film remains delightfully unpredictable - so the less you know about it, the better.

You may observe a few thematic similarities to E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, but I can overlook these parallels. Steven Spielberg's E.T. is 25 years old after all, and Mimzy is based on a short sci-fi tale "Mimzy Were the Borogoves" published in 1943, long before E.T. ever phoned home.

Several references are made to Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" and Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame) sings out the closing credits, with a casual reference to "the dark side of the moon." So any perceived trippiness you encounter isn't accidental. In fact, the word psychedelic seems occasionally appropriate, although it's marginal and kids won't be aware.

The Last Mimzy is an unapologetic New Age ode to, essentially, the evolution (and survival) of the human race - and I kind of like that. Despite our mounds of Styrofoam, our SUVs and our blithe 'excessism,' perhaps every so often we can still pull a rabbit out of our collective hat. This particular bunny's name is Mimzy.

I took my daughter to a screening and was very surprised at how good this movie was. My 13 year old could not decide whether she liked this movie or the Bridge to Terabithia better. There was never a dull moment. We were both very entertained. It was definitely worth the price of admission. The younger kids (10 and under) did not seem to enjoy it as much as the adults and teens though. If you are planning on seeing this, stay away from trailers. You'll have a much better experience the less you know about it. During the last 10 minutes, the reel or film broke. You should have heard the uproar that caused. Everyone in the theater waited impatiently while the projectionist repaired the film. I'll probably go see this again when it does open.

There are not many movies you can take the whole family to see these days. Our ten year old son really wanted to see The Last Mimzy so we went to a sneak screening last Saturday night. I was very pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the film as much as I did. My wife liked it even better. Our two other kids (daughter 12, youngest son 7) along with our son had a great time.

Kids will really be able to identify with the brother and sister in the movie. They seemed very real. The kids' lives at school and their relationships with their parents and teacher seemed true. This is a story about a regular family with all the ups and downs of everyday regular life.

Then, the story takes off. I don't want to give away anything about the plot because the surprises that gently unfold are what you and your family will enjoy about the movie. There are elements of science fiction and fantasy with nothing extremely intense to scare the kids. It's an interesting story told well with characters you care about. The visual effects are well done.

I liked that the movie does not talk down to kids to get its ideas across. My wife and I also liked that the language and situations were truly appropriate for a family film. My kids all want to see the movie again and the movie is definitely good enough to see a second time.

I see it's getting some bad reviews, but I really liked The Last Mimzy. I don't know how much it is like the book, but I liked the ideas the film was based on, the graphics were nice, and it was a new twist on an old storyline (the kids did a really good job acting too). Some people complain it didn't have any action and they "fell asleep" - well it's not an action movie, and honestly if you fall asleep, either you're really overworked or you're just not into light mystery and philosophical ideas. It definitely has a "new age" touch, it's mysterious, and with a nice bit of surreal/sci-fi - if you liked movies the same pace and style as K-Pax (though this one is a bit more geared towards kids), then you'll probably like Mimzy. I wouldn't suggest really young kids for this one, they might not understand a lot of it - 10 and up would probably enjoy it more.

Also, the less you know about the movie, the more you'll like it. Don't spend a day reading reviews and looking at trailers. Grab your kids, go to the theater, and see it for yourself with a fresh mind. You'll probably enjoy it as much as I did. :)

I have never read the book, which this movie is based upon, so I have no point-of-reference for comparison.

All in all I thought this movie was perfectly appropriate for families, although from reading reviewers comments on another website, you'd think 'The Last Mimzy' had some kind of subversive plot. One parent said it was 'liberal doctrine' and another focused on the fact that it shows people who actually believe in Eastern philosophies and practices. Wow! You mean there are other religions besides Christianity out there?! Then they must be liberal in nature and are trying to wreak havoc on the traditional, family-values we all hold so dear.

I am a Christian and had absolutely no problems with the ideas proposed by other points-of-view. Maybe you might have to walk out of the theater with some explanations of how other cultures see the world and their place in it, but that's part of the magic of this movie. 'The Last Mimzy' was by no means 'liberal doctrine' unless you think showing a different perspective as a threat.

Personally, the weakest parts of the movie for me was the uneven direction and the point where I asked "Why is Michael Clark Duncan in this film?" He didn't really add much to it. The kids were believable and Timothy Hutton did a decent job. The effects were all-in-all low-key, but necessary. Before you judge this film for showing the mysteries of Eastern beliefs, try watching it with an open mind. It didn't give me the same vibe as 'E.T.' or 'Close Encounters', but it did a good job as being an entertaining family film.