Over the years I've come to expect a great many things from Disney. This movie single handedly made me regret leaving my house to even watch it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fantasy story courtesy of the Mouse & Co. But I didn't get that. I was robbed. I know what people will immediately say: "But it's based from a book so..." So that means the book is probably bad as well. But, let me break it down as I try not to spoil this too much for any of you lucky folks who've skipped this one so far. This movie is touted as a children's story via commercials that is ripe with creatures interacting with two cute pre-teens.

The commercials lied to you, as that is not what we get. Instead, we the audience, are given a story of a boy who gets bullied at home and at school. He's poor too, so you really feel for this kid. And as an artist I feel a connection with him, as he draws. Then here comes the bright ray of light, as most Christian stories have in them, the cute new girl (who is by all definition of this small town, considered weird). Of course, they become friends. Yay, right? No. There is no yay. This is yayless. Yes, I made a word. Moving on, the two both decide that to get away from the craptastic life they've been thrust into, they'll use their imaginations and make a cool fantasy world all their own.

Well, actually I do as it generally blows, but I don't mind realism in movies. That is, when I go to 'see' realism, which was not what I came for. I came for a fantasy movie with cool creatures from Disney. Instead I get a movie that reminds me way too much of My Girl, only worse written and with better effects. And the worst part? We don't even see the bloody body! If you're going to kill off a main character, for fuck's sake, do it on-screen and show us a damned body. Furthermore, it's incredibly sudden. There's no build-up to the death, no foreshadowing of it coming in the least. It just happens. This killed the movie entirely for me. Really, I sat there trying to move on with the second half's message about how we have to move on past death, but I couldn't. I wanted to get up and leave, while the ending became cliché religious propaganda trying to hide behind fantasy creatures.

In closing, I did not enjoy it. I do not recommend seeing this movie. I really don't think kids should watch it, as it's so unnecessarily depressing. There have been movies I didn't enjoy but have told others to watch because I thought they may enjoy them. This is not one. Note to Disney: stick to fantasy.

• A partial remake of the 1985 adaptation starring Annette O'Toole.
• Gabor Csupo produced some of Nickelodeon's most famous programs including "Rugrats," and "The Wild Thornberry's," as well as the cult classic "Duckman."

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