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Initial Thought: I really like Brad Bird especially with The Incredibles which he needs to hurry up and make a sequel to! So when I saw this I knew I had to check it out. The cast and story really caught my eye too. It wasn't something I would run to the theaters for though. I guess that's why I'm just now checking it out. Also a lot of my time is consumed with work and stuff. Either way it's time to see if this should have been better than a box office flop or not.
Characters/Acting: I'm surprised by how many people in this have also been in Smallville or Supernatural or both. This cast here is quite fantastic. You have it from George Clooney to Keegan Michael Key. Raffey Cassidy is absolutely adorable here as Athena. She is most definitely my favorite character in the whole movie. I find it very interesting that many Youtube stars are actually getting parts or even cameos in films a lot lately. They got fairly well known actors to play the parents of our main characters, yet they had such little screen time I felt they were cameos. I really like Britt Robertson and she doesn't disappoint here. George Clooney and Hugh Laurie absolutely did not disappoint here. I mean come on they are pretty legendary. Keegan Michael Key is so underrated. I found him quite funny here. I found everyone here entertaining even if their roles were so minor.
Story: Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory. I like how it starts off between two different ways of telling the story that would eventually end up the same way. There were elements here that seemed so familiar while others were foreign with originality. It seems this is the step forward with Disney as it's getting intense with it's storylines while still keeping the humor. The futuristic environment was pretty nifty to look at especially the giant pool set up. If only the world is advanced as the movies usually show them to be. It had some funny moments. There are some pretty good action sequences. Athena kind of reminds me of Hit-Girl with her fighting skills. There were a few twists and turns I wasn't expecting to see happen here. The ending was pretty good and has me hopeful they will still make a sequel.
Directing/Writing: Brad Bird has always been a fun director and writer. His directorial debut with Iron Giant was absolutely amazing. That is by far one of my all time favorites growing up. To me his worst movie was Ratatouille, but that honestly isn't even a bad movie. It just isn't a favorite of mine. As of the movies he has out I can officially say I've seen just about all of his work. I absolutely love Damon Lindelof as well. His writing is just Grade A material in my opinion just about all the time. The only exception was Lost which was still awesome though to be honest. This is the only work from Jeff Jensen though so I hope he collaborated well with these two. Everyone here worked well together for a enjoyable watch.
Final Thoughts: I really hope this defies the odds and gets a sequel. I really enjoyed this one and there is obviously more to tell. I enjoy futuristic films and this one is no different for me. I definitely think this movie is underrated and should have been given a fair chance. I recommend those who haven't seen it yet to just try it. It isn't bad at all.
