Epic 2013 Movie: A Visual Delight and Great Family Feature
The first time I saw a trailer for Epic I thought it was unapologetically ripping-off FernGully: The Last Rainforest, but after seeing the movie my opinion has changed. The film is very similar to FernGully in many ways, but there are important differences that allow you to enjoy one without comparing it to the other. Unlike FernGully, Epic places emphasis on family and the good humans can do in the environment when they care. After The Lorax accused humanity of being blissfully ignorant to the point of toxicity, Epic’s take on humans and the natural world was very welcome.
The movie is about a young woman known as M.K. (short for Mary Katherine and voiced by Amanda Seyfried) who has come to live with her estranged father (voiced by Jason Sudeikis) after her mother’s death. Her father’s obsession with discovering the existence of a tiny, humanoid race in the forest near his home drove his wife to leave him and take their daughter with her. M.K. is dismayed to find that he is as consumed by his search as ever and is on her way to leave when she is shrunk by the dying queen of the tiny people, Tara (voiced by Beyonce). The story really takes off from here as M.K. is enlisted to help protect the bud containing the power of the new queen along with two Leafmen (voiced by Colin Farrell and Josh Hutcherson) and two incredibly funny mollusks (voiced by Aziz Ansari and Chris O’Dowd). The villains of the story are known as Boggans and led by Mandrake (menacingly voiced by Christoph Waltz). The Leafmen want to protect the forest and the power of the queen that can cause new and healing growth, and the Boggans would like nothing more than for everything to turn to rot, death, and decay. Classic good versus evil.
The film provides us with a sweet love story between M.K. and Josh Hutcherson’s character, Nod, but doesn’t spend all its time on that. Colin Farrell’s Ronin deals with the loss of his love, Queen Tara, and finally grows close to Nod as a mentor, friend, and surrogate father. M.K. and her father grow to understand each other and begin to build a lasting relationship. The snail and slug are constant comic relief and Ozzie the three-legged pug is also a treat.
Epic reminds us not to forget the importance of all life around us, no matter how small. It digitally portrays the devastating beauty that we are blessed with in God’s creation. Instead of demonizing humanity as a growing blight of environmental destruction, the film reminds us that we are blessed with the knowledge of how to responsibly protect the life around us and the ability to intercede when natural forces threaten wildlife. Both children and adults can thoroughly enjoy this movie!
I give it a 9 out of 10.
