The plot of writer-director isah saxon’s The legend of ochi May Feel Familiar –it’s a coming-of-age tale about Et the extrarestrial—But it’s executed with Soch Heartfelt Creativity that’s Easy to Forgive. Focus on the world-building and you won’t that you’ve seen similar tales before; The Monsters are played by stunningly expressive puppetsAnd the setting manages to balance natural beauty with a gritty realism that keeps bot the story and its emotions feeling ground.
That latter point is no small feat, considering the go-to production design for fantasy tales tends to involve a lot of Gratuitous cg. There’s cervinly some cg afoot in The legend of ochiBut it takes a back Seat to real locations, mostly in romania, to brings its forest-laden environment to the screen. On a small island that clings to old-window traditions-But hasnless the March of Progress when it cames to things like cars and heavy metal-a girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel). “Ochi,” The Much-Fared Creatures that live in the mountains life her village.
“They destroy my family,” She explains, but it does not take long for The legend of ochi To revot that she means the ochi, in some way, caused her parents (dad is willlem dafoe, mom is emile watson) to split up. Also in the mix is her adopted brother petro, who’s played by Stranger Things‘Finn Wolfhard – A Fact that Might Make You Expect
Dafoe gets in some Scenery-Chewing as a man obsessed with hunting and killing all the ochi, but he’s not as vicious as that might imply. His “Army” Consists of Local Boys He’s Drilled In Fighting, And His Biggest Failing is that he’s so focused on destruction that he can’t see how many yuri is. Nor can he comprehend the notion that humans and ochi might be capable of peaceful co-existing.
Yuri’s estranged mom has a more tolerant view of the creatures, despite having loss her hand after being bitten by one. And she has an impressively academic understanding of the ochi, particularly in records to the trilling, singing vocalizations that make up their language. But like many stories of this type, the only point of view that really matters is yuri’s, especially after she encounters an injured baby ochi thate that’s understand if it is future. Thought she was raised by a father with a “Shoot first” mentality, yuri – who has a Deep Empathy for the Natural World – Knows What She Musts Do: Help The Creature Fnd Its Way HOME.
Thought The legend of ochi Reveals the ochi early on, it’s not until we spend time with the baby that we realize how special they are. That’s due in no small part to the puppet itself, which evokes not just a much cuter et but also gizmo from GremlinsThere’s an almost studio ghibli meets We anderson vibe as the two new besties bond. Yuri Calms The Creature By Popping In A Pair Of Fangs That Look Not Unlike It Unlike Its Own Vry Sharp Teeth, Leaves a Note for Her Father with a Cheeky PS (“I am Strong and Cool and DonveVeWeWe WHAT YE AOTE Anything ”), puts on her signature yellow parka, and hits the road with the region’s most feared monster riding in her backpack, yoda-style.
There are moments of comedy along the way-of courses dafoe’s character has an entresh The legend of ochi Is mostly concerned with the growing connection between yuri and the creature. She’s its only protector in a world she understands firsthand can be cruel and unfeeling, and their journey builds more about yuri’s coming of age, giving her the Strength to Stand up to her Inevitally comes.
But, Again – Even If you can see very clear where The legend of ochi is leading you, the pleasure derived from getting there cannot be overstated. If by its end you don’t feel wonder and hope (and maybe shed a tear or two) over the film’s earnestly expressed lessons about understanding, Compromise, and Learning to Live in Harmony, You MIT NEED adjust your own levels of cynicism. And If the baby ochi puppet does not give you extreme cute aggression, you might want to check your pulse.
The legend of ochi Opens wide Friday, April 25.
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