I suspect that the critics missed the heart of this film in the same way that they misinterpreted Waterworld. Both are stories of innocent love between a pre-pubescent girl and a male hero figure. It's a place that our culture is now thoroughly...
[+] Read Full Review

I suspect that the critics missed the heart of this film in the same way that they misinterpreted Waterworld. Both are stories of innocent love between a pre-pubescent girl and a male hero figure. It's a place that our culture is now thoroughly afraid to go. But little girls do get almighty crushes on adult men, and this is natural and innocent on their part. The hero of this film handles the situation with great delicacy and plays the knight in shining armour to his plucky leading lady. There are echoes of Charlie Chaplin and the gamine in Modern Times, and the film actually references another Chaplin film, City Lights, with the unravelling of the hero's jersey (sweater to any Americans out there) - in this case to provide a clue through a labyrinth. Ron Perlman as the hero is a delight to watch. I could look at those craggy features all day.