Recently, I saw the film Epic. I knew before sitting down that I would be watching a new take on old ideas. From the trailers, I thought the film would be like Arthur and The Invisibles, or FernGully: The Last Rainforest. In a way, it was. It dealt with a human being turned into a smaller size to help save nature from an evil force. With that said, I was shocked at how grown up the story was.
Epic has a bunch of characters that felt human and showed a side of strength that never gets played much in animated films. In the face of death, there is hope and the importance of moving forward. Many of the key characters show that while losing someone is painful, life is beautiful and worth fighting for. There is no whining or complaining about how life is unfair. There is just understanding that sometimes, life takes the ones you love from you. The only thing you can do is work to be the best you and to create the best future in the name of those you have lost. In time, new life comes into the world, and though it can not replace what was lost, it shows why we dare to care in the first place. The message of the film is simple and not overly stated. It is quite and beautiful, just like nature.
The film’s touching story telling is matched perfectly with the imagery. There was one moment in the film that I felt as I were in a real forest. It is not easy to create moments that tell volumes without anything being said, but this film was able to create such a thing. Epic is a movie that should be owned in every family and should be seen in theaters while you still can.
