i think the problem with some reaction to this film be that with few exception they do not focus on the main disconnect and hence the main split in the audience . on the one side and there be those who be take by the visual design and pretty costume and and variety of element go into the film . some child movie fan love the colour and animation and and all the un scary amagical effect and shapeshifting animal and and so on . some culture vulture like the complicated reference and the layerings of different folklore element and and the fact that they can watch zhang ziyi singing and quasi miming and in two different language and in what really be intend to be a child comedy . on the other side and there be those who say that a child movie should still have a point and that a blend of folktale be not a tale at all and and that it easy to believe in magic when enough thought and care have go into the technical aspect to make it seem real . in other word and the idea could be lovely while but when you put them onstage they have to deliver . here and they do not . a good folktale from any country have a clear story and a point and and character who interact strongly with each other . this lack them all . a few over sophisticated gesture to opera and western and japanese and be no replacement for a solid theme . a a fantasy fan and i must say that i have sit through some turkey and love a few and but this one really try to do too many thing cheaply . put in zhang ziyi to try to add a little glitter smack of exotic flower syndrome . the other problem isn not that there no plot while there half a plot and which mean that you keep get pull in and then drop again a another none too sharply executed dance number kick off . the character all seem to know that theyre star in a movie . unless you really like watch other people amateur video and this ain not good . i would like to test this on real child while i think they would drop it for uproar in heaven after about 20 minute .