wildly fresh and imaginative; Every frame of the film is excitingly alive and freshly conceived, making it something very much worth seeing on the big screen
what you take away from "Wendy", however, is that Benh Zeitlin's talent to soar cinematically remains intact. He can transport you to a fantastical world without the benefit of massive CG effects or a massive set on a gigantic soundstage
though the film contains some mesmerising visuals, the story does not correspond to the magical images on screen; there is something significant and emotional is unfolding, but the film falls flat time and again. It's a slow build-up to nothing
there is something beautifully all-ages about the movie's kaleidoscopic score and firefly glow, but by the ninth montage of cliffs and shore and joyful screaming down a hill, it all starts to feel a little like a film-school reel
expanding on the source material while solidifying Zeitlin's homegrown motifs, "Wendy" provides the kind of alternate approach to Disneyfied storytelling that heightens its cinematic potential with delicate and often compelling results
"Wendy" is undoubtedly self-assured and in-your-face, and the gorgeous location photography certainly has an impact. But it's wrecked by chapters so lengthy they become simply excruciating