Based on Mary Norton’s well-loved novel The Borrowers, this film tells the story of a tiny adventurous girl (Arrietty) living in the walls of a house with her parents. Everything changes for the tiny family when a young boy moves in and discovers them.

From an animation stand point, this is top notch work from the renowned Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Princess Monoke). The scenery and environments are stunningly crafted, with rich detail in every area of the screen.

Bridgit Mendler captured the adventurous spirit and energy of Arrietty’s character beautifully in her voiceover. Regrettably, that’s where the praise ends for the voice acting, which was some of the worst I have ever come across. More often than not, the actors drained the life from most scenes.

It is difficult to place the blame on the poor dialogue – Was it the English translation or the original Japanese script? Maybe someone who has watched both versions can chime in, but most of the dialogue in this release seemed fit for a low-budget after school special.

I find it hard to imagine individuals passed the pre-school age would find the tortoise-esque pace of this film entertaining. So far, it seems there is very little in the way of quality children’s films available this year. Let’s hope Spring breathes life into the entertainment for the little ones.

Bottom Line: Pop in a classic Disney or anime film and save your movie money for something more satisfying.

Grade C

Runtime: 94 minutes

IMAX: No