The Last Mimzy

last updated 8 January 2015

Despite its 'œpromising premise,' The Last Mimzy is a little mixed up, said Meghan Keane in The New York Sun. Based on a beautiful 1943 short story by Lewis Padgett called Mimsy Were the Borogoves, this tale expands beyond that author's original parameters to contain big ideas about technology, literature, environmentalism, the Patriot Act, and the future. Had he resisted the temptation to 'œenhance' Padgett's story, New Line Cinema boss and amateur director Robert Shaye could have reminded young audiences of the fun that sci-fi films have to offer. The Last Mimzy concerns a box full of strange toys that washes up on the beach behind a home in Seattle. Upon finding the toys, a young brother and sister begin to develop magical powers. The new talents befuddle their parents and delight their cool science teacher (Rainn Wilson). 'œThis film is clearly well-meaning' but hardly well-executed, said Michael OrdoÃ±a in the Los Angeles Times. The Last Mimzy wants to be as heartwarming and mystical as E.T., but it just doesn't come close. It's difficult for any film to live up to that standard, said Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In comparison to the other children's film in theaters this week, the 'œoverhyped juggernaut' TMNT, 'œMimzy's modest charms seem especially praiseworthy.'

Rating: PG