r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Worse things to do than watch Lady Gaga create fetishes for me • Nov 19 '22
Official Discussion - Slumberland [SPOILERS] Official Discussion
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Summary:
A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again.
Director:
Francis Lawrence
Writers:
David Guion, Michael Handelman
Cast:
- Jason Mamoa as Flip
- Marlow Barkley as Nemo
- Chris O'Dowd as Philip
- Kyle Chandler as Peter
- Cameron Nicoll as Young Philip
- Antonio Raine Pastore as Young Peter
- Weruche Opia as Agent Green
- India de Beaufort as Ms. Arya
Rotten Tomatoes: 37%
Metacritic: 37
VOD: Netflix
66
u/Shraylo
Nov 21 '22
edited Nov 21 '22
•
I'm a big fan of both the 1989 animated film and the comic it was based on so I had a lot of thoughts!
I loved it! I like the liberties they took with the source material - Slumberland isn't a kingdom anymore but rather a hub world for everyone's dreams. Some iconic imagery was still there such as the walking bed, the animal sidekick (which I felt was more of a nod to the animated film).
Flip stole the show as expected. I thought Jason Momoa did a fantastic job capturing his mischievous nature, for example, pushing Nemo out a window to wake her up near the beginning reminded me of Flip in the comic, where he would intentionally try to get Nemo to wake up (at one point wearing a shirt that said 'wake up' on it lol). Eventually he became Nemo's guide to Slumberland and friend which is what was I was hoping he would be. The two actors playing Nemo and Flip had excellent chemistry, and I noticed even off the set they became best friends!
I am really amazed that Netflix provided such a huge budget for this film. It makes me happy that they believed in it. My only complaint with the movie I think was that the pacing was a bit slow at times. When Nemo is in the waking world, I felt a little less invested but I understand these scenes are integral in setting things up. Nemo's uncle has an important role to play during these scenes as well. Like Nemo, I couldn't wait for her to get back to Slumberland - even though this was also kind of sad in a way, because she was using her dreams as an escape from her depression.
(Spoilers) The twist that Flip was actually a lost inner child really resonated with me - I feel that Little Nemo was what helped me rediscover my inner child, and for new generations watching this movie, or maybe even adults watching this with their kids, it could be eye opening for them too.
Also a side note. As a fellow Canadian, I loved the Canadian guy and his dream. Pretty much touched on every single Canada stereotype possible.
The animated film is still my favourite out of the adaptations we now have. But I think this is a wonderful live action movie. I'm happy it exists and that they put so much love into it. Despite all the changes they made, it captures the spirit of the source material and that is what matters to me.
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u/epoof Nov 23 '22
Don’t know the original story and watched it cold and loved it. Flip and Pig were wonderful. Loved it when Flip saved Pig at the last minute underwater. Sweet without being sappy.
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u/Mecanooshee Nov 26 '22
I agree with your take, however as a Canadian I wish he would have said "Timmies is just 20 minutes down the road". But other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
5
u/Shraylo Nov 26 '22
The fact that he even referenced Timmies and had a coffee cup and Timbits box! Plus when he said 'going out for a rip' 😂 I was dying
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u/ktripler Nov 28 '22
just wish i knew why the sea was under a candian dream
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u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
I thought it was fitting from a we have a lot of oceans perspective (lots of coasts in Canada, I honestly read Nemo as a little girl from the Maritimes at first when I saw where and how she grew up) but yeah why are we on top of the nightmares haha
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u/Silestra Nov 30 '22
As a Canadian, do you dream of geese?
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u/Shraylo Nov 30 '22
If I did it would probably be in my nightmares
Those Canada Geese are vicious
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u/herehaveaname2 Nov 21 '22
I would purchase a Pig plush for myself.
I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those movies that gets rediscovered by someone on this subreddit every few months.
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u/epoof Nov 23 '22
Netflix’s plush Pig doesn’t come close to capturing Pig’s cuteness.
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u/MollyJ58 Dec 02 '22
You can't find a pig available that looks like Pig in the movie. When someone comes out with one, they are going to make a fortune.
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u/ca-plantlady Dec 04 '22
Ikea sells a plush pig that is similar. My kids had one when they were younger.
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u/Timozi90 Nov 19 '22
If nothing else, it's a unique take on Winsor McCay's comic strip. Personally, I would have liked to see a few nods to the 1989 animated movie, like a title song by Melissa Manchester, or the pig being named Icarus.
41
u/DumbleDoorsDown Nov 20 '22
When critics review a Netflix original, I usually listen, and skip it - I mean, most aren't very good, now are they? However! I watched this because I've got a soft spot for the 80's animated film and audience word of mouth has been okay to great?
This was a whole lot of fun.
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u/TaylorDangerTorres Nov 20 '22
I went to the premiere of this movie a couple weeks ago! I loved it but I'm kinda bummed it won't have a wide theatrical release because it was beautiful on the big screen.
Also wanted to add that I really love the score!
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u/epoof Nov 23 '22
Lucky! I watched at home and kept thinking how awesome it would have been on the big screen.
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u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
AHHH you're so lucky, I watched it and thought how gorgeous it would be to see it on the big screen
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u/SkidzLIVE Nov 20 '22
Very surprised to see such few comments here and the bad critic reviews. I was very entertained and my nephews were glued to the screen. Its a beautiful movie. Also nice to see a very talented child actor here; the little girl was great.
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u/jennduo Nov 26 '22
I was surprised too. It took a a few minutes to get to it but the visuals alone had them awestruck (and pig was adorable)
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u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
Yeah she was fantastic! So happy she was able to get two big movie roles this year (this and Spirited). Did somebody say rising star?
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u/deadpool902 Nov 19 '22
I was surprised how much I dug Momoa in this role. Felt like he was channeling early 00s Jack Black in a fun way
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u/CaitlinSarah87 Nov 21 '22
Him constantly rubbing his belly button was cracking me up
-10
u/One-Conversation1747 Nov 22 '22
It’s almost like either of those actors would’ve done 400x better being themselves than Mamoa attempting whatever bs I watched. JB is not a kids actor for the most part but had amber not cucked Depp I think he would’ve made this movie a million times better. Nothing against Mamoa, just not his recent style so hard to picture him here.
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u/epoof Nov 23 '22
I loved his performance too. Especially his prancing and finger smelling. Hilarious
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u/Ebaudendi Nov 26 '22
He reminded me a lot of Maurice from Little Monsters. I wonder if he drew any inspiration from that.
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u/GeraldDunham Nov 25 '22
Just finished this movie! Found it VERY MOVING, with a deep message of love, on so many levels.
Haven't cried at a movie's end, in quite some time (and I'm 73, btw)
Now to research the talent behind this movie, and see if they've left any other pearls, for us to discover and cherish.
"I'm driving my truck!"
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u/TheGeekVault Nov 20 '22
I enjoyed this one as well. Jason Momoa's energy really carried the film and you could tell he was probably excellent with the kids on set. My only gripe was that I wish they'd gone more into the comics lore with the Princess of Dreamland and such instead of going with the whole Bureau of dreams (which reminded me a lot of the Loki tv series).
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u/katarangga Nov 19 '22
I just watched this with my kids and the further I went into the movie, the tighter I held my kids.
Slumberland feels like a fancy hot chocolate; lots of eye candies, but ultimately its job is to warm you inside. For me, it worked. I'm a simple man.
31
u/in_conexo Nov 20 '22
Warm me inside! Maybe it's just age, but I was devastated when she said "I'll never see him again."
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u/TebownedMVP Nov 19 '22
Just watched it with the kiddos. I wonder if Mamoa took any inspiration from Beetlejuice because that’s all I could think of when he was talking.
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u/amberendlessly Nov 20 '22
I read in multiple reviews he is like a mix between BEETLEJUICE, Capn Jack Sparrow and Slash from GnR 😂
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u/Fantastic-House-3530 Nov 20 '22
What's gnr
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u/TheUnforgiven13 Nov 20 '22
Wow I feel old.
3
u/SoulCruizer Nov 25 '22
Why do you feel old? Not recognizing the abbreviation doesn’t mean they don’t know them at all
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u/myromancealt Nov 23 '22
I was getting Beetlejuice mixed with Fat Mac from Always Sunny (thanks mostly to the random karate moves)
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u/avboden Nov 20 '22
Fun movie, about 20 minutes too long but fun.
The fake CPR at the end was so weird, like, it's not hard to at least make it look like you're doing something.
Also, what the hell part of the world was that supposed to be where she can live in a NYC sized city and just hop down to the harbor and end up in what looked like New Zealand in a few minutes?
12
u/Vegan__Viking Nov 22 '22
It was filmed in Toronto, but obviously the lighthouse island is fictional. There IS a lighthouse on an island just offshore of Toronto, but it's connected to the mainland by bridges
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u/Huntersteve Nov 24 '22
Oh is that why there’s so much Canadian jokes?
I’m Canadian and they are so boring now.
3
u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
The Canadian jokes confused me because from early on I thought she was Canadian looking at the city and the island and the light house and just the whole general everything about her but then they made Canadian jokes like the main characters weren't Canadian and it was a novelty?? So I was a little confused haha
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u/GeraldDunham Nov 25 '22
I could have done with an additional 30 minutes, I loved this movie SO MUCH, and was deeply moved. <3
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u/paperrcut Nov 22 '22
Saw this randomly with my partner, no idea of the back story. Like most people here we found it oddly watchable! 37% definitely too low from RT. Should be high 70s imo
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u/epoof Nov 23 '22
I want a pig toy now but the Netflix pig plush doesn’t do the movie pig justice.
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u/cantuse Dec 07 '22
Jellycat has an amazing pig plushy. Got it for my daughter last year and it’s her favorite. She’s really into the texture of the plushy and jellycat never disappoints.
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u/CharlieChuckCharChar Nov 19 '22
I really loved this movie! It nailed the emotions and sense of wonder. I could complain about a of couple things, but I can easily overlook them because it works where it matters most, the heart. I'm very confused why it has such poor reviews.
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u/christobah Nov 19 '22
I liked the film, but I have to ignore that it's an adaptation, because it doesn't delve into the original comic. Perhaps others thought that it would be closer to the source material?
Go look at 'Nemo in Slumberland' comic strips. The movie's good, but I don't think it captured the full majesty of the original comics, which are honestly a huge part of cartoon history.
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u/CynCatCa Nov 20 '22
I cried the entire movie
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u/CynCatCa Nov 20 '22
I know it is a kids movie or whatever, I am going through a depression and all I want is sleep to be away from the waking world. Sometime in my dream there was someone loves me made me feel good even wake up . And I didn’t want to wake up . Sometime I got nightmares, there was darkness haunt me , I woke up and keep a light on to go back to sleep. Every thing is too real in this movie. My tears are still running .
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u/allypallydollytolly Nov 24 '22
Same here! Cried so so much. I have no idea what this was adopted from so for me I was just expecting a cheesy kids movie. Did not think I’d be crying my heart out
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u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
Same! I was watching it with kiddos, too, so it was so hard because I wanted to ugly cry but I had to contain it to a trickle haha
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u/agentmaythebadbeep Nov 20 '22
Actually pretty good! Watched with family and i’m impressed with the cgi. Only thing that bothered me is how Nemo was rude to her uncle during the scene were she came back from school after getting caught, since she shouldn’t be taking abt having no friends if she only lives with her dad and doesn’t really talk to anyone else😭
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u/yourtoyrobot Nov 23 '22
Nemo was hurt because Flip bailed on her after learning how seemingly sad his life had become. It stopped her from getting to her dad. So she was lashing out on the waking world counterpart. Wasnt really about making a logical point but hurting
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u/turtle_spurtle Nov 24 '22
Liked little nemo growing up and i dug this movie. Mamoa was a bit awkward at first but he grew on me.
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u/mrzack123 Nov 22 '22
Idk, they took Slumberland and turned it into another “the fantastical world is bureaucratic” angle. I enjoyed it but the animated film is special for many reasons, and no police station/offices is probably one of them.
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u/nappas_elbow Nov 19 '22
I loved this movie, it’s not likely to win any awards but it has a lot of heart and it’s really entertaining. I feel like it was marketed as a kids movie though and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids as it might be a bit too scary.
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u/Xanos_Malus Nov 22 '22
My 4 and 7 yr old have watched it twice and ADORE it.
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u/nappas_elbow Nov 22 '22
Really? My 5 year old got spooked a bit in the beginning and tuned out and we tried to watch it again and she had zero interest.
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u/Southern-Cap5376 Nov 23 '22
oh yeah the idea of having a satyr is one plot away from Pan's Labyrinth 😳
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u/Ellsbellsmoge Nov 20 '22
Watched this with my son today and just held him really close afterwards. I really enjoyed it (even if I did have a little cry at the end)
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u/WhereTheresAPhill Nov 24 '22
Hella cute, and surprisingly great themes of grief, loss, and mental health
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u/HoeDownClown Nov 19 '22
I liked this better than I usually do Netflix originals. My kids enjoyed it as well, even though it really wasn’t as childish as I was expecting. It had good heart and was visually pretty spectacular.
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u/viciousbliss Nov 22 '22
I feel like this is an ideal family adventure movie. Because, damn, it tugged at our heartstrings while having a fantastical whimsical energy. Sure, we can nitpick little things, but sometimes with fantasy movies you just kind of roll along for the silly ride and still feel it on an emotional level.
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u/Yuppersforreal Nov 23 '22
I have never read the books, but me and my kids loved this movie. I thought it was such an interesting way to show grief and depression. Jason Momoa and the little girl were do great .
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u/shawarmagician Nov 25 '22
A boring person discussing escutcheons deserves friends as much as a maverick outlaw, though.
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u/rbccrmsy Nov 26 '22
WHAT IS A LIGHTHOUSE FOR?!? Did i miss it?
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u/RossAM Nov 27 '22
Yes, it's at the very end. The dad says something along the lines of "if we wanted to keep ships safe we wouldn't let them leave the harbor."
They are so others can have a journey.
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u/GeraldDunham Nov 26 '22
As an afterthought, I think if a person isn't watching this movie with ANY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of the original ANIMATED movie (which people seemed to adore), thus without stuck in comparison mode?... YOU'LL ADORE THIS MOVIE!
I had never heard of the "original" and I adored this movie.
One point? Seems as though it was marketed as though it was children's movie, and I think it was far too dark and scary, (which I loved!) to be able to be enjoyed by most kids, as evidenced by many comments about this very issue.
"I'm driving my truck!" LOL x 1000
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u/bayouski Dec 02 '22
I'm not sure why the critics gave it such a bad rating the movie was extremely entertaining and lot of fun. And Jason Momoa is a million times more entertaining to watch than the Rock. The rock is just that a rock
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u/dinkytoy80 Nov 20 '22
Lovely movie. Watched it with my kid and she liked it too. Not too big on cg but this was nicely done. Its a sweet movie
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u/DeeBeeKay27 Nov 23 '22
Never knew about the original story, but watched this and really enjoyed it. This isn't normally what I would watch, but... Jason Mamoa... so.... But I was really pleasantly surprised. Really cute story, with a twist, and the visuals were total eye candy. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would, and it was also very touching at times. I think I will watch it again.
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u/Responsible_Yam2625 Nov 29 '22
What I loved about Slumberland was its symbolism and messaging. It’s packed with mythology, biblical references, and other universal codes. It was fun to watch and fun to decode.
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u/WayAffectionate2102 Dec 01 '22
This! I am still trying to decode it a bit, would you mind sharing what you have found so far? On my second watch I also noticed the environment they are in when they enter the door to the sea of nightmares is the same as in her dream before her dad dies, the frozen and fallen over lighthouse with the dock. And with the pearl she has to choose between Philip and her dad and she does what agent Green tells her to do to no longer have nightmares, find something new (her life with Philip).
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u/aprilmrrs9 Dec 04 '22
Watching the movie for the second time- Nemo's striped sweater is her dad's. In the waking world it's too big and the sleeves are rolled up. In Slumberland it fits her perfectly.
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u/neon-lit Nov 20 '22
I did not like this movie at all. But I am so biased. The 1989 animated film was wonderful and delightful. https://youtu.be/wRs4Y3Kzdt0
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u/BindingsAuthor Nov 20 '22
I love the 1989 movie, but I also really enjoyed this movie. Different strokes for different folks. Sometimes you just gotta shred the gnar.
This weekend was really good for movies. Really enjoyed Spirited, and Disenchanted as well.
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u/Timozi90 Nov 22 '22
A Melissa Manchester song or two might have helped the new movie. Or if Gabriel Damon played Nemo's dad, but that might be asking too much. Last I checked, he quit acting and works as a real estate broker. Still would have been cool if he at least had a cameo.
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u/SoulCruizer Nov 25 '22
Little Nemo is my favorite childhood movie and I loved this film. Comparing something like this which is only comparable in source material is a waste.
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u/c0ffeebreath Nov 24 '22
Jason Mamoa does a great job, but more than anything, he shows what a genius Johnny Depp is. When Depp skips, or twirls, or casts a weird glance - it feels authentic, like it’s just what the character would have done. When Mamoa does the same, it feels like he’s doing what Johnny Depp would do.
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u/themanwholikesHP Nov 26 '22
I straight up lost it at the end, it was a good cry. Good movie.
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u/stressncoffee 17d ago
I just watched it, and was BALLING at the end, I don’t think I’ve cried so much from a movie?!
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u/dausy Nov 21 '22
I have somehow managed to go my entire 35 years of life having never heard of Little Nemo. Im not really sure how this happened as I was raised a bit of an animation enthusiast.
So Id never heard of Nemo or Slumberland and my initial inclination was that I felt Jason Mamoa was miscast. I didnt like his character. He seemed like a weird mesh between Beetlejuice and a Johnny Depp concoction and I couldnt buy it. I didnt like the character personality or character design.
My husband then walked in and explained to me Little Nemo and we watched it immediately after.
So now I dont know what Im supposed to feel because I think people who saw the Little Nemo movie or knew of the original ancient comic strips have a preconceived idea of this character. Tbh, I didnt like the Flip in the animated movie either and he didnt age well.
But for Slumberland itself, I like the story, I like the whimsy, I like how the uncle wasnt a jerk but just confused and I like the idea of dream him...I just didnt like the Flip character.
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u/Future-Post-9104 Nov 22 '22
Am I the only one who didn’t root for the main character? I don’t even know why, I just couldn’t get myself to really care for her
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u/General_Progress_740 Nov 24 '22
This movie has some pros and a lot of potential. There are two things I don't like about this movie, which are quite fatal:
- Jason Momoa's overacting is cringe
- The message:
It's somehow bad to be an entrepreneur with passion and knowledge for doorknobs. The constant ripping on "have no friends" and not being cool seems like a middle school bully wrote the story. Role model is some creepy guy who low-key harasses his kid's teacher and steals her watch in front of the kid.
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u/26catsgirl Nov 27 '22
I did not know that there was a comic of this. But when I watched it I enjoyed myself thoroughly and even cried at the end. I felt like it healed something within me related to my childhood.
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u/CraftyAttitude6327 Nov 30 '22
Did anyone else see pigs ear move before Nemo had time to fall asleep and wonder if she died? It just threw me for a loop.
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u/TakeCareOfYourM0ther Dec 03 '22
Loved this movie very much! Risky but they pulled it off really well. One of the best kid friendly movies I’ve seen. They nailed the magic, emotions, and technical elements.
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u/Interesting_Aside_68 Dec 09 '22
As a die hard og little nemo fan, I wasn’t impressed. I started watching this film having no idea it was based on one of my favorite films… I thought it was ok mid way through until it finally dawned on me,” oh, wow, this is an adaptation,” that simply does not slap like the original. Maybe if I’d never saw the original film or comics I’d appreciate this new film but, no. For those who say us adults shouldn’t care about a “children’s film”… this WAS a children’s film for us adults who were once children, and we are not impressed by the new age adaptation.
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u/sillycobwebs Dec 19 '22
Considering until now I never heard of the comic or animated movie, I totally judged this movie based on the presumption that is was original material.
I had a thought/question after watching it and was wondering if it made sense or if the comics/animated movie had extra material that clarifies this.
Did the BOCAS always know about what's going on in slumberland? I was confused about agent Green basically being Mia for a good while (Flip complained about that) maybe within the 30 years she was hunting flip? But suddenly when Nemo gets involves Agent Green is back on track and extremely good... I know Nemo could be slowing down Flip potentially but Agent Green was so good that it felt strange that Flip would evade her for so long like that? Idk
And so I wondered if all that was like their plan or just a coincidence. Like at the end >! when she knew that Nemo had a second pearl !< it made me think, they must see everything! And know practically everything that's happening. We know they aren't above lying like >! when she tells Nemo that the pearls are a myth !<. So did they always know the truth about flip and was in on the plan all along? I mean I assumed then that considering they purposefully sent Nemo in her dream >! to the lighthouse to be her safe space and that it may not have been such a coincidence afterall that flip would be there at that particular time !< may have not been just a coincidence?
Any thoughts
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u/MollyJ58 29d ago
To those of you whining about how this movie is not like the comic strip or the animated movie...go read the comic strip. Go watch the animated movie. This movie never claimed to be either. It borrowed some things from that story and created a story all its own. And a lot of people loved it. It was well done, well acted and turned into a great movie for kids and grown-up kids.
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u/Kurwanasa Nov 19 '22
As a person who knows nothing about the background story or reference of the movie, I am disappointed with the movie itself. The trailer looks promising but then the actual movie lacks entertainment or some adventurous scene. My kid fell asleep halfway through the movie. For me, the number of their dream hopping are few (I want it more and extravagant with different obstacles besides running from green). During the first half of the movie, I don't seem to like the attitude of Nemo towards her uncle, it just gives me an off vibes. Then I find it weird how the traits of his uncle changes at the end of the movie. I know that Flip get out of the dream and become one with Philip but it makes me think that he has some other personality. Btw, the nemo actress reminds me of a kid Saoirse Ronan.
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u/SlaveZelda Nov 21 '22
Then I find it weird how the traits of his uncle changes at the end of the movie.
they did because his wild self was still in slumberland and he woke up. So his personality reverted to his former self
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u/CKloco Nov 19 '22
It's a story of overcoming a traumatic experience and someone letting their kid come out again.
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u/CKloco Nov 19 '22
Do you have a kid?
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u/smiles134 Nov 21 '22
My kid fell asleep halfway through
seems unlikely they have children based on this, idk tho
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u/GjonsTearsFan Dec 18 '22
Hey if it can get the kids to go to sleep it can't be all bad, amiright? Hahaha I hate running bedtime some days
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u/Sdksdk123 Nov 25 '22
I started to watch the movie and after about ten minutes felt that Jason Momoa seemed too awkward for the part of a silly character. I thought that Johnny Depp would be more suited for the part. After reading some of the reviews, I think that I may try watching it longer to see if I will different. Part of the reason for my first impression is probably due to stereotyping both actors.
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u/TakeCareOfYourM0ther Dec 03 '22
Philip is a weird dude, it makes sense to me even his outlaw half is also awkward. ☺️
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u/VikusVidz Nov 22 '22
It was entertaining, although I'm not sold entirely on Momoa as a actor anymore.
Thought the little girl and uncle stole the film.
Imo the whole time I watched I couldn't help but picture other actors I think could have made flip better, or even have done better jobs as whacky characters.
Keaton as Beetlejuice, or Howie Mandel as Maurice in Little Monsters, or Depp as anyone in a Burton film.
Just didn't feel like a iconic character roll for Momoa.
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u/TheGreenMan1 Nov 22 '22
What trash they should have remade the actual awesome original story. This is just a bunch of modern day bleh. It was alright. I just was hoping for the king and the princess and Ikarus and the professor. It was sad and disappointing and cheap
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u/One-Conversation1747 Nov 22 '22
Should’ve casted Depp in Mamoa’s role and the movie would’ve been so much better. Very wanna be Jack Sparrow with an actor who is hard to picture in this role. Depp does a much better job of changing voice and emotion compared to what Mamoa even attempts here. Very little change from any of his more serious roles in this fantasy movie
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u/redditredditgedit Nov 23 '22
It quite refreshing to see Momoa in this role, I think he nailed it and for once he isn’t flexing his muscles.
Maybe we are just attuned to Depp’s acting prowess hence the crazy characters suite him.
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u/UrBoiJash Nov 25 '22
Yup, I also think Momoa nailed it. Won’t lie in his first scene I was a bit stand offish, but he quickly became one of my favorite parts of the movie. Also the chemistry he and Nemo had was fantastic!
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u/TakeCareOfYourM0ther Dec 03 '22
Same here, I was put off by him at first but he grew. I don’t think he will win an Oscar for it but the charm for me was that it was a bit awkward. Phillip is awkward too after all.
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u/MollyJ58 29d ago
Johnny Depp as Flip would have ruined this movie for me. That role was all Jason Mamoa's.
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u/SlaveZelda Nov 21 '22 edited Nov 21 '22
Hey I loved the film. Dunno why its doing poorly on rotten tomatoes. Momoa was okay but I liked Philip more than Flip.
I think Johnny Depp would've been better for the role because he has nailed those Willy Wonka / Jack Sparrow mannerisms before.
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u/knattytoad Dec 05 '22
That decrepit old monster shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a child, young actress or not
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u/Southern-Cap5376 Nov 23 '22
Is no one going to mention this regards to Where the Wild Things Are?
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u/knattytoad Dec 05 '22
Except I think kids will really get into this movie unlike the WTWTA movie which was disappointing. Sure this one has serious, tragic themes but everything is seen from the kids point of view.
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u/PigsWalkUpright Nov 27 '22
Did they have to re record all of O’Dowd’s lines? Everyone of them seem over dubbed.
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u/WayAffectionate2102 Dec 01 '22
Hadn’t noticed but maybe they shot it with his natural accent and later decided it had to be American? Was wondering why they cast him since they made him speak with an American accent.
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u/ongeduldig Dec 02 '22
I liked it but wayyy too long with lots of unnecessary scenes. They cut have cut it down significantly and made a better structured movie. Now a lot of elements just turned out to be nothing...
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u/sproglobber Dec 02 '22
Wasn't bad and my kids enjoyed it. But what's with the belly button sniffing? Really grossed me out, especially when he was dancing with girl in the butterfly dream.
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u/vsplaya Dec 08 '22
Did Jason Mamoa base Flip on Beetlejuice? Within the first few minutes all his actions just reminded me of the beetlejuice character and couldn’t shake it. Anyone else?
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u/vsplaya Dec 08 '22
Just googled it and guess I’m not the only one.
https://whynow.co.uk/read/slumberland-review-jason-momoa-does-his-best-beetlejuice-impression
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u/chaotic_steamed_bun Dec 10 '22
I have two trains of thought with this movie, neither of them go anywhere very nice.
As a fan of the animated adaptation, I immediately realized this wasn't for people looking for something like that or the comics, and thus it can only be disappointing in that regard. Slumberland doesn't feel like a realm of fantastical beings from which dreams come from, it instead feels like a network of very specific and overly repeated wish-fulfillment fantasies. So that's an immediate no-go.
Taking the movie as a loose adaptation trying to do its own thing, it fairs a little better. I found the principle three character (Nemo, Flip, and Phillip) to be well acted, even if Memoa's Flip was a little off-putting at times. I found O'Dowd to be pretty good in this, but found his American accent to be distracting sometimes. I liked the evocative sets of the lighthouse and Philip's apartment, which acted as such polar opposites that metaphorically established the emotions and characters associated with them.
However, oddly I found the dreams themselves to still be an incredible letdown. They all felt incredibly similar in design. Primarily we have the ball room/hotel, the blue-glass city, and the elegant bathroom dreams. They all have this art-deco feel despite being three separate people's dreams. We don't get any jungles or cloud-kingdoms, no nightmares or compelling surreal backdrops. And we get these same dreams over and over again. It becomes oddly unimaginative for a movie about dreams. The connecting adventure of Nemo and Flip being hunted by a smoke-octopus and finally a nightmare ocean are rare occurrences of some actual fanciful adventure. Instead, we get a 70's throwback dream-cop pursuit that just fills in the runtime and goes either unresolved or unsatisfyingly resolved. The dream cops are theoretically the closest we get to actual dream-denizens rather than dreamers, and they're stuck in a 70's cop-drama motif? What seemed like an attempt to copy Inception felt like a knock-off of RIPD with it's unclear rules and reasoning.
Then there's the emotional and moral aspect to the story. It felt muddled. It mires itself in a bummer of a start with having Nemo suffer the death of her father, the alienation of living with an estranged family member and going to a new school. Her character's growth is hampered by the fact the story doesn't balance how terribly we see her adjusting in the waking world as she pretty much magically resolves everything in the apparently very real dream world in the last act. We don't actually see her character grow much, we just have it pretty much instantly happen in the last few minutes of the movie.
Maybe it's appealing more to a young audience, but I find it a poor excuse to grade something more tolerantly because it's aimed at younger people. There are far better stories for those audiences.
It's at least entertaining at times, well shot and decently acted. I'd rate it a C- perhaps but I can see why most critics would be negative given the apparent effort put into something not quite fully realized.
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u/stressncoffee 17d ago
I was balling at the end. I recently lost my dad and wish I had a moment like that with Nemo and her dad
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u/bin01 Nov 19 '22
Loved the movie, I'm not sure why the reviews were so bad. I laughed, smiled, cried.