The Legend of Ochi

Definitely an experimental movie, which is why I didn’t give it a dislike. It’s trying something new, and I can appreciate that. Though, the plot isn’t that good. Visuals are amazing though imo.

So close to a 'like', but the second half falls flat into 'meh' territory. The cinematography and locations were beautiful, and the casting fits almost perfectly. There's definitely an '80s vibe, especially with the puppetry, although instead of the casual '80s chaotic nonsense, it's more boring and predictable. The spotlight for me was on the puppetry itself. I can't imagine how technical it must have been, but it was by far the saving grace this film so needed. Overall, I'm not sure I'd recommend this, but if you're into filmmaking, I'd say it's worth it.

Moments that really looked amazing, but then times that were weird and boring. The movie almost felt like how to train your Dragon 2, with the parents being separated by different ideals, and a different understanding of creatures. The highlights are the practical effects.

The Legend of Ochi is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it’s gorgeous, the whole vibe, color grading, framing - everything, is genuinely stunning. The usual of practical puppets to create the Ochi creatures is seamless and looks great. On the other hand, it lacks substance, instead favouring style, the narrative is so shallow that I couldn’t really tell you the firm plot of the movie.

Acting is fine, Emily Watson and Willem Dafoe do the heavy lifting - what the hell is Dafoe even doing in this thinking about it, it’s just so random. I can’t even suggest an audience for this, it’s too dark to a kid’s/family film, yet not deep or engaging enough for an older audience, instead pondering in this weird middle ground.

Was expecting something a bit more meaningful to take away from this, but instead was just left with a hollow story and some fantastic visuals.

I really liked this. Took me back to 80s nostalgia from movies like E.T. and Mac and Me. The baby Ochi is the cutest thing since Grogu.

Made me cry so much