I've been feeling a little mimzy...

I've been hearing about The Last Mimzy for a while. They had a special screening at Sundance, and a lot of people have been talking about it since it was directed by Bob Shaye, the founder and co-chairman of New Line. So yesterday I finally got a chance to see it. The Last Mimzy tells the story of siblings Noah and Emma, (who live in Seattle, a mere three hours from Portland!!!), who find a box of strange, magical toys that might actually be more than playthings. Their parents are played by Joely Richardson and Timothy Hutton, and Rainn Wilson, (The Office's Dwight Schrute), plays Noah's science teacher who gets caught up in the mystery.

The first thing that struck me about the film was that it's basically Donnie Darko for kids, (complete with a mysterious rabbit, though this bunny's a lot cuter). It deals with similar issues of time warps and the universe, and it's fun to try to put the pieces together. String theorist Brian Greene, served as a consultant on the film and even plays a bit part. The whole cast is great, especially the two kids who pretty much carry the whole film. The effects were pretty impressive, and really blended in seamlessly. The Last Mimzy seems a litte less thought out than Donnie Darko, though. There are a number of loose ends that just don't seem to come together by the end, (which might have something to do with the fact that the screenplay went through five different writers and nineteen drafts). There are also a number of product placements and brand mentions which really stick out like sore thumbs in the semi-fantasy world of the movie. All in all, I did enjoy it. And I can't help but wonder what the kids in the audience were thinking. Did they understand all the science stuff? Was it too scary? Either way, that girl and her bunny are so darn cute...