ORION AND THE DARK

 This afternoon, we watched this animated fantasy adventure film from Dreamworks on Netflix.

The film is based on the novel of the same name.

"Orion seems a lot like your average elementary school kid – shy, unassuming, harbouring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, and even falling off a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he's the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the Dark. So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, the Dark whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grows closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown – to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living."

I feel for the kid, as I have had many fears since I was a child, and many more now as an adult.

This is a surprisingly heavy and layered animated film with delightful characters and different generational storytelling which was a nice surprise.

What starts off as a film about how every aspect of life can be scary quickly morphs into something that celebrates the unpredictability of it whilst exploring how balance is essential.

Even the character of the Dark, who was a loveable gentle giant had his own fears and doubts that needed addressing in the end.

The animation style was really nice to look at and it's greatest moments of visual beauty came from the scenes at night, which is the majority of the film, even the daytime and dream scenes were animated beautifully.

The voice cast list did a wonderful job in their roles and apart from the two many characters of Orion and Dark, the other outstanding character was the silent "Quiet" a sweet looking white mouse.

This film is great for the whole family and even for people who still have a vast imagination of beauty inside of them.

I highly recommend this movie.

I shall rate this flick a score of 9/10.