CommentsXp
Best movie ever!
Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
ethal-10611
Little Boy has all the hallmarks of a bad Christian film. Namely, racism, bigotry, intolerance, and in this case, the deaths of 200,000 Japanese civilians all brushed aside with the flimsy "It's ok because it's FOR JESUS" excuse. Oh, and Paul Blart is there for some reason too...
queenofhairspray
The entire film is a little boy trying to use telekinesis to bring his father home from war... yes seriously.
While the movie is one of those 'Christian' productions about faith, it's like the film equivalent of a watery chicken soup coated in buttercream frosting; it's supposed to be good for you, but it's cheaply made and coated in so much sweet stuff that it's hard to finish and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Also, it is completely unrealistic and misleading; God is not a genie in a bottle who grants wishes, and having faith doesn't get you everything you want.
If all that doesn't bother you, watching a small child use racial slurs for an hour and a half probably will. As stated by other reviewers, not one adult (not even the priest trying to help the boy) tell him that referring to anyone as JAP isn't a very Christian thing to do. (never mind the disrespecting of his elders) Especially when said little boy is being bullied and called names himself throughout the entire film. (dwarf, midgit etc.). And if THAT doesn't set off your alarm bells then the fact that this film (and the title character) are NAMED after the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima should; 66,000 people were killed as a direct result of the Hiroshima blast, and 69,000 were injured to varying degrees. Of those deaths, ONLY 20,000 were members of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Not cute, not a wholesome or realistic story, and not worth the time.
connsmythe-38968
Through the innocent eyes of an eight year old, we are taken on a true adventure! A journey for the ages into a perfect time capsule of Rockwellian grandeur. "Like you see in post cards."Little Boy is truly an amazing film! I instantly shared it with the people closest in my life and now I'm writing a review...which I never do?! I have to admit that I loved the story the most, followed by the musical score, and then pretty much all the other facets that compromise the mis en scene of the film. At first glance, I thought the movie could've been cast better, but after multiple viewings, the superb acting undoubtedly became the heart of the movie! Mainly Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa to name a few. The true testament of a great movie is how it grows on you and gets better "just like with the mustard seed," the more you apply the perfect amount of time and water to it, "you can move a mountain.""All was good in the old Busbee home ..."Despite his stunted growth, which gets him bullied by the town folk of Ohare, Pepper Flynt Busbee lives a charmed life. He has a loving family, especially with his Father. They share a special bond together channeled through their imaginative storytelling and powerful trust in one another. As WWII reaches it's apex, Pepper's gung ho, flatfooted, older brother is denied military service forcing the Dad to fight instead. Pepper is heartbroken when his Dad leaves for the Pacific and the rest of the movie focuses on Pepper's enduring will to see his beloved Father again. "Do you believe you can do this?"Faith is at the center of the plot and is intricately woven throughout a metaphorical story line rich in morality, family, fantasy, chance, racism, friendship, death, love and fate. A continuing ideological dichotomy between a Priest and a Japanese internment prisoner (whom Pepper befriends) helps solidify the moral fabric of the film's message. Metatheatrical techniques are also used by way of a magic show and a story of a boy Samurai to help emphasize Pepper's ability to believe in himself and ultimately face his fears."I would say do what makes sense for you."Little Boy is not preachy like many critics claim it to be. There's a perfect balance between the belief in God and the belief in oneself conveyed in a way that really gets you thinking as an extraordinary and spiritual individual. Aren't we all just trying to make sense in our own unique world?"You did it Little Boy!"Thank you for giving me something to share and write about. Clearly a lot of heart and thought went into the making of this film and it deserves both recognition and praise "...or so I thought."
gercs
I saw it, and I liked it. It is such a good family film with high production values. It is mainly about a child, albeit small for his age, who showed to other people what determinism - or in a more religious perspective, faith - is all about. Sounds cliché and predictable, but what makes this film good is how it was told through a little boy, through his innocence and simplicity. Indeed, much can be learned from a child, despite the character's shortcomings for just being an ordinary boy in the neighborhood. The little boy was bullied for being 'little', and he cannot be even considered smart for his age. The setting was World War II, the time when able-bodied men were sent to war in the Far East. The boy has an older brother who satisfied the age requirement, but wasn't able to make it for being flat-footed. So their father was sent instead, and this was heartbreaking to the little boy.There was hatred of the Japanese almost everywhere, and well, predictable enough, there was a Japanese living in their village who have sided with the Americans. The vengeance for their father was directed to this Japanese, which lead the brothers in committing a crime. The older brother was imprisoned and being a religious family, the little boy had to serve penance for the delinquency that he has committed. From this part, everything almost revolves around a list and the determination to fulfill what was on the list. The good thing is that this was well-acted and well-directed. If there is something to dislike, then some would probably believe that it is the contrived plot marked with a lot of coincidences. For me, however, these coincidences are pleasant contrivances in a sense that they are used to illustrate something valuable in our humanity. The illustration was compelling in a sense that it was used in context with the innocence of the boy. This made things amusing because the coincidences made him believe in himself for having extraordinary powers. Perhaps the village people are foolish enough for crediting the little boy for the atomic bomb. However, it can also be viewed as words of encouragement to the little boy and a celebration of the coincidence amidst depressing times. There is a lot of humanity in this film. If you believe in a supreme being, you will see faith, and if you do not, you will see determination. The turn of the story at the end can be considered cliché, but then by that time the film had successfully made its point already.P.S. I also think that this is one of the most underrated films that I have ever seen.