Cinema Saturday - EPIC

Epic
20th Century Fox
August 20, 2013
PG for mild action, some scary images and brief rude language; 102 min
find info on IMDb/buy Blu-Ray or DVD on Amazon/or Amazon Instant Video
with Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world -- and ours.

Featuring the voices of Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson and Beyonce, Epic is the newest animated feature from the creature of Ice Age and Rio.

Returning to her childhood home to try to repair her relationship with her father, Mary Katerine, "MIK," finds him still obsessed with finding the society of tiny people he believes live in the forest. A conviction he's held her whole life.

MK doesn't hold the same belief as her father -- until she finds herself a part of that hidden, tiny world.


The focus of Epic is on the Leafman and the 'good' of the tiny world within the forest winning against the Boggans, their survival.  There's action and adventure utilizing the surroundings - the animals, plants and the everything now is, relative to the characters. The Leafmen use hummingbirds in place of horses -- or, perhaps, if this had been another kind of fantasy tale, dragons. Animals that seem one way when we, humans, are larger than them, become something else to the Epic characters who are only a fraction of their size. It shows great imagination and takes viewers for a great ride.

The interpersonal relationships aren't the focus of the story, but provide both great background and depth to the characters. The distance between MK and her father is obvious - and logical. Despite their physical separation in the film, the emotional separation isn't forgotten.

The father/son-like relationship between two of the Leafmen parallels MK and her father's relationship very well and, subtly, moves things forward for both pairs.

Mub and Grub (Aziz Ansari and Chris O'Dowd), the slug and snail who are also part of the Epic journey provide fantastic comic relief, even when things are getting tense. With the Boggans closing in quite frequently, or the threat of them doing so, the jokes were a nice distraction. They were also funny - they were kid appropriate, but also funny for adults, as well.

A beautiful film that is conceptually just amazing, with a gorgeous world of brilliant flowers, lush green, and beautiful (when appropriate, rather not when that was appropriate) creatures, Epic is one not to miss.

The creators of Epic have imagined and brought to life the world amongst the trees and plants that I want to believe is really there.









seen for review thanks to Think Jam