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Frodo returns to Middle Earth, ahem...Elijah Wood returns to New Zealand in this wholesome and highly entertaining adventure. He gives one of his best performances as a failed Las Vegas magician who reconnects with his estranged and precocious daughter, Mildred (an also great Nell Fisher) as they try to film an elusive panther in the country's vast wilderness. If the general setup sounds familiar, it is, but the movie does enough extraordinary things to make up for it. For one, it's beautiful to look at and not just because of the locations. It begs to be seen on the big screen or at least the largest TV in your house. Their journey is also always unpredictable, with the panther's flightiness being only one reason. I'll just say it’s not the only creature the father and daughter have to worry about. Again, Wood is really impressive here. While it helps that the role of Strawn plays to his strengths - he gets to be scared a lot, for instance – it lets him reveal how strong he is at comedy and at being vulnerable. As for Fisher, I hope we see more of her because she has experience beyond her years just like Mildred has knowledge beyond hers.
The movie is not perfect: in the end, the supposedly elusive panther is really not that elusive. Also, I feel like a jerk criticizing its CGI since this is not a Hollywood production, but its motions are a little too cartoonish at times. With this movie and Come to Daddy, writer/director Ant Timpson continues to prove his expertise with stories about difficult father/child relationships and family complications arising from trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Despite these weighty subjects, this is again a movie the whole family is bound to enjoy. Just try not to let Elijah Wood's wig and beard and how they clash with his eternally youthful appearance distract you too much. Forget Paul Rudd: if anyone has found the fountain of youth, he has!
Frodo returns to Middle Earth, ahem...Elijah Wood returns to New Zealand in this wholesome and highly entertaining adventure. He gives one of his best performances as a failed Las Vegas magician who reconnects with his estranged and precocious daughter, Mildred (an also great Nell Fisher) as they try to film an elusive panther in the country's vast wilderness. If the general setup sounds familiar, it is, but the movie does enough extraordinary things to make up for it. For one, it's beautiful to look at and not just because of the locations. It begs to be seen on the big screen or at least the largest TV in your house. Their journey is also always unpredictable, with the panther's flightiness being only one reason. I'll just say it’s not the only creature the father and daughter have to worry about. Again, Wood is really impressive here. While it helps that the role of Strawn plays to his strengths - he gets to be scared a lot, for instance – it lets him reveal how strong he is at comedy and at being vulnerable. As for Fisher, I hope we see more of her because she has experience beyond her years just like Mildred has knowledge beyond hers.
The movie is not perfect: in the end, the supposedly elusive panther is really not that elusive. Also, I feel like a jerk criticizing its CGI since this is not a Hollywood production, but its motions are a little too cartoonish at times. With this movie and Come to Daddy, writer/director Ant Timpson continues to prove his expertise with stories about difficult father/child relationships and family complications arising from trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Despite these weighty subjects, this is again a movie the whole family is bound to enjoy. Just try not to let Elijah Wood's wig and beard and how they clash with his eternally youthful appearance distract you too much. Forget Paul Rudd: if anyone has found the fountain of youth, he has!