59
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerSeattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerThe plot is often bewilderingly complex and the dense layers of subterfuge hard to follow, but by the climax the fairy tale has been twisted into a fascist fable of realpolitik mercenary opportunism.
- 90L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklyWhere Okiura leads the art of animation into truly uncharted territory is in his character work, the precise behavioral strokes that bring people to life in two dimensions.
- 80Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanA superbly crafted science-fiction fairy tale that's both Grimm and grim.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleWesley MorrisSan Francisco ChronicleWesley MorrisThe film is built to quaver and buckle along with its victims and martyrs. In an almost soulful way, it bespeaks the reality lingering when the final fantasy ends.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghCharacters are undermined by the inexpressive animation that mars the majority of animated films: Their haunted inner lives are clearly meant to take center stage, but their faces are blank and two-dimensional.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanDubbed for U.S. audiences, the film has suffered in translation.
- 50Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovIt's a gorgeous albeit depressing mess, as distancing and despairing as a realpolitik wipeout.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe story's emphasis is on action, but there are some sensitive moments and interesting ideas along the way.
- 50New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. ThompsonNew Times (L.A.)Luke Y. ThompsonIt makes as good a case as any for the use of animation as a medium for serious, mature features.
- 40The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottSomething to behold; it's just not much to watch, despite admirable ambition and a few tense, well-thought-out sequences.