Three out of
Five stars
Running time:
96 mins
Enjoyable fantasy mystery with a strong script, a thought-provoking message and superb performances from its excellent cast.
What's it all about?
Based on the short story, Mimsy Were the Borogroves by Lewis Padgett, The Last Mimzy stars Chris O'Neill and Rhiannon Leigh Wrynn as 10-year-old Noah Wilder and his 5-year-old sister Emma, who find some mysterious objects on a beach during a family vacation. One of the objects is a beaten-up stuffed rabbit called Mimzy, which seems to communicate telepathically with Emma and she claims that it teaches her things.
Soon, both children are displaying strange abilities and freakishly high levels of intelligence, alarming both their parents (Joely Richardson and Timothy Hutton) and Noah's friendly science teacher, Mr White (Rainn Wilson). And things really get complicated when Noah causes a blackout that brings them to the attention of the Department of Homeland Security, led by Agent Broadman (Michael Clarke Duncan).
The Good
There's a strong sense of mystery that builds throughout the film and it's extremely satisfying to see all the pieces eventually fit together, largely because the film never spells out what the objects actually are and it's left to the children to work it out for themselves. Similarly, the adults behave exactly as you would expect them to, which adds a level of reality to the film.
The performances are superb, particularly Rhiannon Leigh Wrynn, who proves quite a scene stealer for a five-year-old. Chris O'Neill is equally good (his matter-of-fact science fair scene is a definite
highlight) and there's strong support from Joely Richardson, Timothy Hutton, Rainn Wilson and Kathryn Hahn (as Mr White's fiancee).
The Great
The effects are extremely good and the objects themselves have a believably out-of-this-world quality to them as a result. Similarly, the film's overall message may be cheesy but it's no less relevant for it.
Worth seeing?
In short, this is an intelligent, thoughtful sci-fi mystery that both adults and children can enjoy. Worth seeing.