Dan Scanlon

Despite a charming cast and good animation, most of this film is just fine. It's decent, reasonably entertaining. I've seen it twice, and on both occasions, I was never bored, but I was also never fully invested. The main plot twist is rather heavily telegraphed, the humour is usually chuckle-worthy but rarely anything more, and the wildly imaginative setting is horribly underutilized in the actual narrative.

But a lot can be forgiven by the superb final act. Sure, the actual plot involved is still quite predictable, but the execution is perfect, the kind where what feels predictable does so because it's inevitable, not because it's rote. The final 20ish minutes of the film are Pixar at its heartwarming, exciting best, and on both my viewings, I got teary-eyed and emotional at all the right times.… (more)