Based on the short story “Mimsy Were the Borogoves” (a title drawn from Lewis Carroll's "The Jabberwocky") The Last Mimzy is a new age throw back of the fun kids’ films from the ‘80’s like Explorers, Cloak and Dagger, and Goonies but…largely geared towards girls this time around. Featuring a return to the director’s chair for Robert Shaye (New Line’s Co-CEO) and a solid cast, the movie is surprisingly better than the trailers would lead you to believe-but how much is that telling you?

While the story is updated and expanded for the present, it still retains the basic point of the story and the cautionary tale within. The setup is fairly simple: the kids find a strange box containing some very special crystals and toys; as time goes on, they begin to develop strange and wonderful gifts that, of course, scare the adults around them to no end. This is where the story gets a little too convoluted. With everything tied into what the purpose behind the toys and abilities are, the story gets expanded through new age logic and thinking. Then, suddenly, it turns into the movie War Games while the government hunts down the source of a blackout caused by the children’s new toys.  It feels a little too much like switching channels on the TV to make it work properly, and the movie suffers for it.  They should have introduced some of those elements earlier in the film to make it less jarring.

Problems aside, the film is adequate and enjoyable. Both Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (Emma) and Chris O’Neil (Noah) deliver decent performances, especially considering neither has much experience behind them (Mimzy is Chris' first major role). Of all the adults in the film the only two that really call for attention are Rainn Wilson (Larry White) best known for his role of Dwight on The Office and Kathryn Hahn (Naomi) as the new age couple thrown to the audience as a way to explain the plot and bring some much-needed humor. Not surprisingly, they end up stealing every scene they are in; I just wish they had more of them.

Nothing personal against Robert Shaye, but where the film suffers the most is the directing. Though there are some great shots in this film and some old film school tricks, the movie constantly takes you out of the story with too many tight angles and wobbly hand camera shooting. It doesn’t let the audience get fully entrenched in the story and just destroys the connection between storyteller and viewer. Honestly, it felt rushed; if they had taken a few more runs at some of the shots or perhaps tried to shoot a few scenes from multiple angles, they could have had more choices in the editing room and turned out a smoother film.

In the end this is a film that, even though it’s targeted at young girls, you can still drag little Billy along as well without too much complaining or worry of being bored out of your own skull.  Like a good bowl of porridge: not too cute, not too preachy, just right.

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