Epic {a review}

The new movie, Epicrecently opened on our last day of school. Obviously, a celebration was in order. Popcorn, Twizzlers, and an animated adventure by way of a wall-sized screen…yes, please! I mean, what a way to end the school year, right?

Epic Movie: A Review | www.thereisgrace.com
First, let’s talk animation…oh. my. The opening scene takes you on an aerial ride through the forest, and I’ll be honest it took me awhile to realize it was actually animation. I mean, I knew this was an animated film, but it looked so real. Epic is from the creators of Ice Age and Rio, but this film falls into an entirely different category than those movies. The graphics, the “cinematography” (or whatever it’s called in animated films), everything was…well, Epic. A visual feast for the eyes.

The movie does not rest solely on artistic flare, however. It has a great story to boot. Mary Katherine (who goes by MK now that she’s a teen), shows up to live with her estranged father after her mother dies. Although they were once close, their now-strained relationship is mostly the result of her father’s obsession with discovering a small civilization he believes to exists in the forest. Things get really interesting when MK ventures into the forest and is inadvertently shrunk to roughly the size of a field mouse. That’s when she discovers her dad was on to something after all.

MK-dad

I especially liked the characters in this movie. They were realistic and believable, yet noble and kindhearted. MK has been disappointed by her dad, but she has not grown bitter or resentful. She longs to have a relationship with him and desperately tries to do so. Her dad is obsessed with his work, but he loves MK deeply. He wants a relationship with her, too, he’s just not sure how to get there.

ronin-arrow

Even the “fantastical” characters (like the Leafmen) display great feats of bravery and honor while struggling with more “human” issues of pride, arrogance, and immaturity. They show great perseverance, respect, and honor all while protecting the forest and its inhabitants. Traits like responsibility, gentleness, stewardship, and caring for others are touted as heroic qualities to be honored and for which to strive.

nodThere may be some who take issue with the forest being protected by tiny men dressed in leaves whose duty it is to protect a spiritualistic queen. But we’re talking about miniature men who ride sparrows and travel with talking slugs. I think we crossed the line into fantasy a long time ago.

Long after my kids forget about Leafmen and dancing caterpillars (which I’m sure will be awhile), I hope they remember the overarching theme of the movie. More than a mere struggle between good and evil, Epic promotes the message that we must fight for good, look out for one another, and never give up.

All in all, this is a movie I would highly recommend for families with kids of any age. (The battle scenes are a bit intense, so use wisdom and caution if your kids are very young. For a more detailed review of the content, click here.)

Ultimately, Hubby and I give it two thumbs up. We agreed it was like Avatar meets Tinkerbell meets Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Braveheart.

Basically, it is EPIC.

Photo source

28 thoughts on “Epic {a review}

  1. Nice, comprehensive review! I haven’t seen much about this movie yet, but we’re usually 6 months to a year (or more) behind on new movies anyway. 🙂 That’s a good overall theme. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Thank you for reviewing this movie!! We have talked about taking our kids to go see it and it’s nice to know what’s in it beforehand. 🙂 It sounds like one that we definitely shouldn’t miss.

    1. Glad I could help, Amy! I don’t know how your kids do with intense, but you might check the Plugged In review for action since I know your kids are young. Some of the battle scenes are kind of intense. If you guys do see it, I’d love to know what you think!

    1. I completely understand, Melissa! My youngest has just been able to sit through a full movie for a few months now! It has changed our world (and we don’t even see movies that often, but knowing we CAN is so exciting!). Thanks for stopping in!

  3. Ooo…I’m glad to see a review on this from a trusted friend! 🙂 I have to admit I wasn’t sure about this one from the previews (it looked sort of silly to me), but having read your review I’m much more impressed with the story line. Maybe this one will be showing at the nearby drive-in movie where we live–that would be fun to watch there!

  4. Thanks. I love to read your review. This film … it will take some time before it is in the Netherlands. The first picture is really cool. You’d think it was real.

  5. Great review! I wondered how the movie actually was. Thanks for posting! Found you via the Family Fun link party! Feel free to link up at our party, too!

  6. We loved EPIC too! My girls are 5 and 3 (and newborn) so we take them to almost every animated movie that comes through the theatres. This one looked super cute and I liked the father/daughter theme running through the movie. I was also very impressed by the opening scene. The only part my hubby and I thought was unnecessary was the kiss at the end… but then maybe that sets the movie up for EPIC 2 to find out how MK and her miniature guy find a way to be together… 🙂

    1. I didn’t mind the kiss so much, maybe because my daughter is a little older (8), and while we try to avoid too much romantic stuff at this point, she is VERY much into fairytale romance. So I was at least glad to see that the “hero” grew up and learned some responsibility before he got the girl. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by, Bonnie!

  7. Oh I was just looking at this on a movie review site this afternoon, wondering if it would be a good choice to take our girls to see. We are a pretty easy going family when it comes to movie choices as long as it’s appropriate for little eyes and ears. Thanks for the great review!

  8. Thanks for the great review! Epic is one of the movies we were contemplating for our 4 children this summer, so I’m glad to hear that it was full of so much goodness. 🙂

  9. Thanks for the review. It’s always good to know what is worth watching with our grandchildren. And I always hate it when the movie ends up having a bad message.

  10. So it’s not overly eco-nutty? That was my husband’s concern, having seen the limited previews. (We’re all for environmental stewardship, but he was concerned this might verge on earth-worship.)

    I looove the line the fruit fly delivers in the preview, though! lol

    1. Rachel, No I didn’t find it overly eco-nutty. Ha! That was one of my concerns. And those elements are there, but they are so subtle, they’re easily overlooked unless you’re searching for them. I think the positive messages of the movie far outweigh the minor “eco-nuttiness” 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

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