Posted by Jsober on: February 09 2010
When reviewing Ballad I feel like I can only express my disappointment. I knew going into the movie that it was intended for kids and I also knew that it was Japanese. These two factors have never stopped me from seeing a film. With a background in children’s entertainment that beats out most other cultures, Japan’s Ballad had a lot going for it, and the fact that it was being lifted up by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival was very exciting.
In the end there wasn’t much to speak of. Yes, it was a kid’s movie and yes, it was Japanese, but there was nothing special about this film. It actually resembled many of America’s high budget yet shallowly conceived children’s cinema. I actually don’t blame the film for this though. There is a place in cinema for this type of entertainment; it just isn’t at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. I really expected more spark, more cultural relevance and at least good editing.
This is not a bad film to take your children to but don’t go into it expecting to be blown away.
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