I, a cynical teenager, did enjoy some of the movie, and I can understand why a kid around 5-10 would as well. But even though it has a heart, it doesn't give room for much creativity.
The characters: they were okay, but they feel like knockoffs from Cars. The main character's dream is similar to Lightning Mc Queen's -he wants to be a famous racer! But the big difference is that, while Mc Queen is a car and can attain this dream by advancing a career he already has, the snail is just a snail. This makes his need for speed a lot less obnoxious and more dedicated (in my opinion). His brother's impatient with him, but it's understandable -he doesn't know he's in a children's film, he thinks his brother will get run over in seconds! And his fear is very justified, "What if you lose your powers tomorrow?" The other characters are okay, not good but okay. It is cool that they're Mexican, though, so the film has more diverse characters. I didn't think it was insulting, but I'm not Mexican so I don't know. It was also neat that the main characters weren't rich and had convenient things available. They had to work their way to the top, which is very inspiring.
The humor: Wasn't great, but it got a few laughs from me. If only they took the "snails getting taken by crows" joke away. It did set up for an awesome scene later in the movie, though.
The story: The conflicts really make the story. If you're not interested in the race, the snail brothers, or the Mexican brothers, then it'll be a long hour. But the characters aren't hard to invest in, if you're willing to see both sides of the issue. One brother is a dreamer, the other is a realist (for the humans and the snails). It would have worked better if the snail brothers didn't feel too much like the Ratatouille brothers, but if you can let that pass then the dynamic works.
The moral: gets a little choppy with the ending, but kids will get the message. It takes dedication, not strength, to achieve your goals.
Overall, this is an okay movie. Not great, not bad.
Funny for Children, but Forgettable and Mediocre
I, a cynical teenager, did enjoy some of the movie, and I can understand why a kid around 5-10 would as well. But even though it has a heart, it doesn't give room for much creativity.
The characters: they were okay, but they feel like knockoffs from Cars. The main character's dream is similar to Lightning Mc Queen's -he wants to be a famous racer! But the big difference is that, while Mc Queen is a car and can attain this dream by advancing a career he already has, the snail is just a snail. This makes his need for speed a lot less obnoxious and more dedicated (in my opinion). His brother's impatient with him, but it's understandable -he doesn't know he's in a children's film, he thinks his brother will get run over in seconds! And his fear is very justified, "What if you lose your powers tomorrow?" The other characters are okay, not good but okay. It is cool that they're Mexican, though, so the film has more diverse characters. I didn't think it was insulting, but I'm not Mexican so I don't know. It was also neat that the main characters weren't rich and had convenient things available. They had to work their way to the top, which is very inspiring.
The humor: Wasn't great, but it got a few laughs from me. If only they took the "snails getting taken by crows" joke away. It did set up for an awesome scene later in the movie, though.
The story: The conflicts really make the story. If you're not interested in the race, the snail brothers, or the Mexican brothers, then it'll be a long hour. But the characters aren't hard to invest in, if you're willing to see both sides of the issue. One brother is a dreamer, the other is a realist (for the humans and the snails). It would have worked better if the snail brothers didn't feel too much like the Ratatouille brothers, but if you can let that pass then the dynamic works.
The moral: gets a little choppy with the ending, but kids will get the message. It takes dedication, not strength, to achieve your goals.
Overall, this is an okay movie. Not great, not bad.