After a couple days of recouping from the calamity that was Monday, I got around to a film I've been meaning to view: The Last Mimzy.
Please note that, while it's intelligent and articulate, I disagree with almost everything in the linked review. This film was nominated for several Saturn Awards. The issue, as I see it, is that it's damn hard to make a smart SF film for and about children. This is not perfect, but it comes close.
The Last Mimzy is not what I expected. It's a bit syrupy, but well worth the time, as it touches on ideas of the interconnections of science and faith as the sole hope for humanity embracing its own potential. It manages to do so without coming across like an E.T. clone. As the numerous harsh reviews I discovered online indicate, opinions vary. But I found it eminently worthwhile.
Besides, I'm a sucker for cute stuffed critters- genuinely cute, not creepy cute.
It's also refreshing to see Hollywood reach into the realm of vintage science fiction stories, rather than simply rehashing its own tired past successes. This step away from creative inbreeding, filming a great story by SF master Henry Kuttner, is more than welcome.
Regrettably, The Last Mimzy was not a commercial success, though I suspect it will build a following.
Maybe the world is finally ready to see a good film of the best SF novel of all time!
