Bookworm

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a precocious, 11-year-old girl in New Zealand. When her mother ends up in the hospital due to a toaster accident, the estranged father (a washed-up magician from America), comes to look after her. He agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther. The sweet film was directed by Ant Timpson, who also co-wrote the story with Toby Harvard. Already, the movie has won the “Audience Award Gold” at the Fantasia Film Festival. THINGS I LIKED: Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher carry the load of this film squarely on their shoulders. They have endearing charm and chemistry together. This sweet childhood adventure is filled with real and illusionist magic. The true magic is found in the relationship between the absentee father and his newfound daughter. Beautiful cinematography by Daniel Katz. We get to spend time in New Zealand. That must have been fun for Elijah Wood because he spent so much time there playing Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. By the way, that’s my favorite trilogy ever. It’s absolutely brilliant in every way. The banter and barbs are often amusing and clever. In an age of CGI, it’s refreshing to see a film take place in the real world…and a beautiful one at that. Each “chapter” of the story shows intriguing title cards on the screen. There are some sweet breakthrough moments between father and daughter. Karl Solve Steven created a lovely musical score that is never overbearing. There are some villains in the story, but the wilderness is also another one. We learn some interesting skills about wilderness survival in New Zealand. Keep watching during the rolling credits to see some more clips, particularly about the mysterious black panther. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some of the camera angles are odd choices. Sadly, the last scene is too forced. What kind of name is “Strawn Wise”? That’s just one more element that feels way too forced. Considering how “rare” the Canterbury black panther was supposed to be, it was ridiculous how many times the father-daughter team ran into them. The outcome is extremely predictable, yet also doesn’t resolve all of the issues. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Farting and talk of farting We see a dead deer with blood Some profanityTalk of kidnapping We see a robbery Talk of a one-night stand and its resulting pregnancy A strange, married couple films inappropriate content about their intimate relationship that we have to see. It was supposed to be funny but should not have been in a film targeted to children or families.