[launche]

Well I won't say much here about the story but if you are a fan or curious about this genre of film and style of presentation, it's worthing seeing in a 3D theater.  One of the most (dark) beautiful movies I've seen.  Stop motion animation and 3D are a match made in heaven.  The 3D here is not overdone, many moments I forgot it was even in 3D (in that traditional sense we think of it.)  I think the 3D used here is mainly to assist in the incredible amount of visual layering and depth in this film but in a more natural way, just stunning to my eyes but again not overdone.  Things just pops and ooze dimension, even in this dark and somewhat muted presentation.  There were scenes where I was having sensory overload, trying to enjoy all the nooks and crannies, the light and shadows and take in the setting. Now I sat in row 3 and I prefer to be up close for 3D, so I'm right in it, where my glasses basically only see the screen.  It's literally like I could jump into the setting.  The best 3D presentation I've seen yet and stop motion animation as well.  Hard to give the credit to one or the other, the synergy is key here.  Not the movie "A Nightmare Before Christmas" is story wise but a step forward a visually. Even with " A Nightmare..." is took sometime before many people really got how good that movie is.

This movie is a bit scary visually and not for young kids and actually may appeal to young adults and up very well.  It will have a strange place in the market and may fade fast due to that.  That's why I say check it out in 3D if you like this type of film, seeing it one DVD just won't due it justice.  Though the story is not a tight one but give some issues for thought and you may not connect emotionally (hard to do with cartoon type movies anyway)  all in all it's a solid film and a wonderful theatrical experience.   SS vs tubes, this movie for me was like hearing music on a fine tube system set up well to highlight maximum soundstaging and imaging.  Tone, timbre, harmonic density, ambiance, air around instruments, note decay, literally everything appears out of a black background etc...

If you need a moment of escapism and enjoy taking a peek into another world this is a good option.
Now Slumdog Millionaire is all the rage but as movie making goes this is a better film IMO (the human element aside.)

[rydenfan]

I could not have stated it better myself. We saw it last weekend and truly enjoyed it.

[chadh]

This movie is a bit scary visually and not for young kids ...

Not to put you on the spot, but how young would you say "too young" would be?

Chad

[rydenfan]

I would likely not bring kids under the age of 10 or 11.

[launche]

Tough to say, but it is PG-13.
It's not scary per se, at least  not for adults but there were times they showed images that had me saying that's just eerie, creepy, or grotesque.  I can surely see how some parents might have taken their young ones and needed to get the hell out of there as quick as possibly.  This is the stuff children's nightmares are made of and it presents and plays very much in that fashion.  It seems like a dream and I could see many kids being haunted by this movie for many, many nights.  Some kids it may not bother, they might find it all a snooze.  I personally would be on the cautious side.

I remember taking my little brother to see the Terminator 2 exhibit at Universal Studios thinking he would just love it, I believe he was in his early teens, scarred the boy half to death and he thought he was going to die.  He had nightmares and still do this day remembers the day he thought the world was ending.

[chadh]

Thanks for the assessment.

Chad