This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
oof this did not hit the same on rewatch i fear (prob was in my emo single era last time)
i actually think the movie does a decent job with cutting the main story down & with the overall pacing. plus it has some nice tender moments, and a few great cine shots. however, the screenplay is not great & sometimes the directing feels just as rigid: like all the characters often say their lines like they're just dramatically reciting them in…
really really surprisingly good film, just lacked some specificity to ground it
Ghibli meets James Bond meets Scooby Doo. That's the true vibe of the film and it's amazing. Just a really fun adventure film that's not trying to be too deep, but such a fun watch. Very simple story-wise, but the plot & cartoon gags are so fun. Plus the animation is really good considering the budget they probably had. The whole swimming sequence is definitely my favorite. I also wonder if Disney animators were inspired by Miyazaki all the way back…
truly a standout among all of the best picture winners, which says all it needs to.
but honestly i think people underestimate how difficult simplicity can be to pull off; and i don't mean simplicity in a negative way, but as in 'less is more'. like compared to other films, there's only a handful of scenes & settings, yet each one is perfectly crafted, paced and placed. such a beautiful, understated film, and honestly so well done i only wish it was longer.
