EPIC

Cole's Rating: ★★★

Director: Chris Wedge
Year: 2013
Cast: Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Beyoncé Knowles
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Family
MPAA Rating: PG

        I ventured into Movies 14 on a warm spring Friday night with my dad and nine-year-old brother, excited to view the highly anticipated Epic. We found a seat, sat down, and became instantly immersed in the magical 3D world that the movie ambitiously creates. Epic, a slick spin on Honey I Shrunk the Kids, finds Mary Katherine (voiced by Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of a quirky scientist, reduced to the size of a blade of grass, in order to save the forest civilization (“leafmen”). This civilization that she encounters upon has been her father’s obsession for a large part of his life. It tells a riveting story with tasteful humor and wonderful dialogue, and engrosses you with its astounding visual effects, but it falls shorter than other more memorable family movies (such as Shrek, Cars, and Toy Story) due to its severe lack of character motivation. I’d describe it as trivial, because while it is enjoyable, it still doesn’t leave a significant mark on cinema in any way.

        Epic will undoubtedly leave you questioning its script. It’s told well and is interesting, but it feels like this should be a sequel. This is because the “leafmen” fight against the “rot” (who are bad guys that try to destroy the forest for some unknown reason). We know that the “leafmen” are trying to preserve the forest and its natural elements, and we know that the “rot” are trying to destroy it, but is there a point? It’s symbolic of life and decay in the world, and that’s alright, but the film would’ve been much better had there been a fictitious plot element to spice up its tellings and motivations that concern the civilization’s rivalry. Never are we told why either one of these civilizations try so desperately to accomplish their duties; but the film’s target audience (nine and under) won’t care too much about that aspect, which makes it a successful children’s movie.

        Overall, Epic is a lot of fun. It takes its impressive visual effects, meshes it with a handful of likable characters, blends it in with some nice dialogue, and the outcome is a family-friendly movie to spend a Friday/Saturday night watching. And although it’s a good experience, and it’s delightful enough to get by, it doesn’t quite live up to its title.

-Written by Cole Pollyea