Not So Epic

• Title: Epic
• IMDB: link

With a nice pro-environmental message and a story cobbled together from a variety of sources, Epic is an inoffensive, if mostly forgettable, animated feature. Our protagonist is M.K. (Amanda Seyfried), a young teen struggling with the recent death of her mother and being forced to move out into the middle of nowhere with her absent-minded father (Jason Sudeikis) obsessed with finding proof of a colony of tiny 2in. people in the nearby forest.

Through a series of events M.K. accidentally gets shrunk down and becomes involved in the struggle of the Leafmen (an army of good guys protecting all life in the forest) trying to save the forest from the forces of Mandrake (Christoph Waltz) and the Boggans (evil creatures who are trying to bring forth the rot and destroy the forest). The death of the Leafman’s queen (Beyoncé Knowles) has given the villains a window which to strike where no power in the forest can stop them.

In traditional fashion M.K.’s group includes a hard-nosed soldier (Colin Farrell), a talented but underachieving potential love interest (Josh Hutcherson), and comic relief in the form of a snail (Chris O’Dowd) and slug (Aziz Ansari) tagging along for the ride to care for a small defenseless pod which holds within it the magic to bestow the queen’s unchosen heir the power to fight back the Boggans and the rot.

The animation looks good, and the film’s straightforward good vs. evil storyline could appeal to families with younger viewers, especially those dealing with the loss of a parent (as does much the backstory of both M.K. and Nod). For a lazy Saturday afternoon adventure Epic may satisfy, but adults are likely to loose interest before the movie makes its way to its predictable conclusion.

Available on a single-disc DVD, a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (with Digital Copy), and a Deluxe Edition three-disc set with the 3D version of the movie. The Blu-ray includes the trailer and a seven-part documentary on the making of the film. Featurettes include a look at the real-life habits of animals used in the film, a short look at rot and decay in a forest, and a discussion of the science of being 2in. tall.

[20th Century Fox, DVD $29.98 / Blu-ray $39.99 / 3D Blu-ray $49.99]