EPIC | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"EPIC"
(2013) (voices of Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson) (PG)

QUICK TAKE:: Adventure: A teenager ends up shrunken down into a miniature world where she tries to help those who support life and growth vs. those who try to spread death and decay in the forest in which they live.

PLOT:

Following the death of her mother, Mary Katherine (voice of AMANDA SEYFRIED) - who now likes to be called M.K. -- sets off to live with her scientist father, Professor Bomba (voice of JASON SUDEIKIS). He's an eccentric sort whose obsession with finding a race of miniature people he believes live in the nearby woods led to the end of his marriage to M.K.s mother and a general estrangement from the teen.

That continues upon her arrival to the point that she decides to leave. But their 3-legged dog Ozzie escapes and she chases him into the woods, unaware of what's about to happen to her. Unbeknownst to M.K., her father was right as a tiny world does exist nearby where the balance between life & growth and death and decay seems likely to tip in the favor of the latter.

And that's because the ritual of Queen Tara (voice of BEYONCE KNOWLES) choosing the next guardian of the forest -- something that only happens every 100 years -- has been interrupted by Mandrake (voice of CHRISTOPH WALTZ), his equally nefarious son Dagda (voice of BLAKE ANDERSON), and the rest of their Boggan tribe who want their death and decay to rule. A group of soldiers known as the Leafmen -- led by Ronin (voice of COLIN FARRELL) -- try to protect the Queen and the special pod she's chosen that contains her successor, but Tara is mortally wounded during the battle.

With M.K. stumbling upon her end, Queen Tara's magic causes the teen to shrink down to a miniature size along with the request that she take the pod to Nim Galuu (voice of STEVEN TYLER), the caterpillar keeper of the scrolls. Shocked by what's occurred, she agrees to do that with the help of slug Mub (voice of AZIZ ANSARI) and snail Grub (voice of CHRIS O'DOWD) -- who are the caretakers of the pod -- all while Ronin isn't sure he can trust former Leafman Nod (voice of JOSH HUTCHERSON) who previously quit but has now returned to help him, M.K. and the rest.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Kids who like movies about miniature people may be interested (as might those who like computer-animated pics), and since this is the first film in a while to target kids, there might be some pent-up desire to go to the movies.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For mild action, some scary images and brief rude language.

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