Sean Martin

By and large, this is a wonderful piece of work: both as a script and as a test movie. But once I got past the charm of the visuals (and they *are* charming), I found it wasnt grabbing me quite as much as I had hoped. Some of the scenes — like January berating her father — felt forced to find a centre, and to be honest, the boy's two companions dont sit well after a second viewing. It's almost like there's two films here: an edgy, sparkling retelling of the fairy tale coupled with something that seems to want desperately to be a retelling in the "Rocky and Bullwinkle" tradition, with broad humour that, at times, is just a wee *too* broad.

A few of the songs start to sound the same after a while, especially the ballads, but you make up for it with some very kick-butt, large-scale production numbers. And I could see where this would be an art director's dream: lots of great opportunities for expansive, emotionally-driven design.

I've read about twenty or so scripts around this place, but Randy's work here is arguably the first time I've come across something that feels genuinely BIG. The characters are all extremely well drawn, even the ones we only see in passing, and he uses the whole concept of "cloud collaboration" to its best... or most weirdest, whichever you prefer. Either way, it's a genuine laugh-out-loud script that manages to parody so many things (and do it so well!) that you actually wish it would continue on for *just* a few more pages... *just* a few......

Favourite moments: anything following the line "Dinosaurs!" They always manage to come just when you think things couldnt go any further over the edge, and the last insert of t-rexs (and no, I wont say where that is: read it for yourself) sends everything careening over a cliff in a dizzying cascade of laughter.

To whoever's running this place, check this thing out. Seriously. This is a geek-fest and a marvelously witty satire and a stunning homage to the sheer joy of screenwriting.

Besides, Jack Black could use a hit right now.