Due to its sci-fi genre, PG-rating, and last-minute advertising, "The Last Mimzy" probably isn't at the top of your must-see movie list. An innocent tale of a stuffed bunny won't drive you from your dorm room recliner nor compel you to get advance tickets to its first screening.
If you give "Mimzy" a chance, though, you'll be rewarded with a delectable movie of fantastical gadgets and adorable kids who never becoming annoying - not to mention Dwight from "The Office."
Adapted from "Mimsy Were the Borogoves," a short story by Lewis Padgett, "The Last Mimzy" tells the tale of a brother and his little sister, Noah and Emma Wilder (played by Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn), who come across a mysterious box while wading in the ocean. Upon opening it, they find an assortment of supernatural toy-like rocks and objects, including a floppy stuffed bunny named Mimzy.
While Emma latches onto Mimzy, Noah becomes transfixed by the rocks. His hearing and vision sharpen superhero-style, and he begins to envision complex patterns that his oddball science teacher (Rainn Wilson) believes to be ancient mandalas, or geometric shapes believed to be connected to the cosmos.
As the children become more and more engrossed in their new toys, their parents Jo and David Wilder (Joely Richardson and Timothy Hutton) become increasingly concerned - that is, until Noah's configuration of the toys creates a generator of sorts that produces a city-wide power outage; then the parents become terrified. Enter the FBI, with "The Green Mile"'s (1999) Michael Clarke Duncan as the menacing, yet softhearted counterterrorism expert, who demands that Emma hand over the potentially harmful Mimzy. She resists, retorting that Mimzy teaches her about how the present world needs to fix itself in order to avoid devastation. She adds that Mimzy was sent to her from the future as a warning and must be returned before it's too late.
Behind this seemingly bizarre plotline is a well-told story that integrates sci-fi elements into a familiar world in a surprisingly believable way. Director Bob Shaye makes sure that "Mimzy" doesn't fall into the realm of the corny and unconvincing (as so many sci-fi movies have before) by carefully keeping the focus on Noah and Emma instead of on intergalactic beings or special effects.
These two otherwise unknown child actors are greatly responsible for the overall success of the film. O'Neil, as the freckled, video-game playing, school-hating, 10-year-old Noah, creates a character that is at once scared yet simultaneously fascinated by his new powers. He accepts them tentatively as the movie progresses, never becoming exaggeratedly heroic and never losing sight of his actual age.
Likewise, Wryn, clearly the newest Dakota Fanning minus the sickeningly sweet charm, remains laudably realistic as she handles the large ideas sprouting from her new bond with Mimzy. The script and adult actors respect O'Neil and Wryn's young age, meaning that they are never put in too mature a situation.
Whether it is toddlers, high school couples or tag-along parents, all movie-goers will be able to enjoy the interaction between the established adult actors and their youthful counterparts. The script never isolates the children for so long that you feel like you're in their personal fantasyland (unlike this year's "Bridge to Terabithia"); it remains grounded enough to keep the action going. Adults will appreciate the melding of depth and lightheartedness in this worthwhile film.
With its unique subject matter and fast pace, "The Last Mimzy" will catch you off guard. Surprisingly reflective, literary and authentic, it would make for a perfect, whimsical diversion on a free afternoon.
