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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Last Mimzy, The
New Line Cinema


5.6

based on 25 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 40 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG for some thematic elements, mild peril and language

Starring Chris O'Neil, Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, Joely Richardson, Timothy Hutton, Rainn Wilson, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Kirsten Williamson

Based on the acclaimed sci-fi short story by Lewis Padgett, The Last Mimzy tells the story of two children who discover a mysterious box that contains some strange devices they think are toys. As the children play with these "toys," including a beat-up stuffed rabbit named Mimzy, they begin to display higher and higher intelligence levels. (New Line Cinema)

GENRE(S):	Adventure \| Drama \| Family/Kids
WRITTEN BY:	Bruce Joel Rubin and Toby Emmerich James V. Hart & Carol Skilken (screen story) Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore (short story Mimsy Were the Borogoves)
DIRECTED BY:	Robert Shaye
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: July 10, 2007 Theatrical: March 23, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	94 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The newcomer kids are delightfully...kidlike. Cosmic bonus: "The Office's" Rainn Wilson plays a New Agey science teacher.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak

Call it "E.T." for a new generation.

TV Guide Ken Fox

An intelligent, imaginative children's adventure refreshingly free of rapping cartoon animals, fart jokes and mind-numbing special effects.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

An unexpectedly disarming, extremely well-cast little variation on "E.T."

San Francisco Chronicle G. Allen Johnson

Though it becomes flimsy toward the end, it's a ripping yarn.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

For smart kids between the ages of 8 and 12, the movie hits the sweet spot with a satisfying cosmic bang. It's a cross between "A Wrinkle in Time" and a middle-school version of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

If Mimzy serves as a gateway drug that gets "Shrek" fans into classic science fiction, then it'll have performed an invaluable cultural service.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

An involving fantasy for beamish boys and girls - and their parents.

Miami Herald Peter Debruge

On paper, it may sound like high-level calculus, but on screen, The Last Mimzy is perfectly charming. Like "Cocoon" for the elementary-school set, the box transforms Noah and Emma's lives.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

For a family picture this is still superior.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

A capable, if modest, charmer.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

A reasonably engaging movie filled with fun visual effects and an appealing tone reminiscent of a certain Spielberg movie about an out-of-his-element extraterrestrial.

Village Voice Rob Nelson

Mimzy, whose charmingly retro FX date to around 1985, won't post Peter Jackson figures at the box office, but you can't say that Shaye doesn't have the magic touch.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

For adults, while The Last Mimzy is not unpleasant, it lacks the polish and substance to be anything more than an opportunity to attend a movie with one's family. The film does a lot of things but it never fully satisfies.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

So that great start turns all clunky and dull and, you know, mediocre. Still, you'll love Emma. Emma is about as cute as a kid can get.

Variety John Anderson

Kids will like Mimzy if for no other reason than it doesn't talk down to them.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

This children's sci-fi movie should be palatable to the young and old alike, yet it's ultimately more a mild diversion than a magical adventure.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

The sense of the unknown that "Padgett" created are largely absent. And the movie fails to supply us with an antagonist to work up some dramatic conflict. Nor are the toys themselves very interesting and Mimzy is a toy bunny of no distinction.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The best element of the movie is a subplot involving Noah's spiritually obsessed teacher (Rainn Wilson) and his wacky girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn), whose bumbling eccentricities give the movie an emotional liveliness it otherwise lacks.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

There is a dearth of good children's films right now, at least of the nonanimated variety, and undoubtedly The Last Mimzy will fill a vacuum for some families. But it's a default choice, not a prime pick.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

For many kids, the response to the original story remains delighted awe. The most appropriate response here is a thoroughly baffled "huh?"

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The Last Mimzy displays a gentle touch and the best of intentions. But the film's message never quite becomes clear; what, exactly, are young minds supposed to take away from this film?

Los Angeles Times Michael Ordona

Being a "family film" may excuse many faults, considering the intended audience, but it's hard to think of a recent movie that has more determinedly married the engaging with the banal.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The film feels as if it's trying to force a sense of wonder and awe upon its youthful audience, rather than simply letting an intriguing story unfold naturally.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Despite leaden direction and a story crammed with pseudoscientific flotsam -- including palm reading, levitation, time travel and telepathy -- The Last Mimzy is a wholesome, eager entertainment that doesn't talk down.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.6 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Brenda S. gave it a3:
It's pretty bad when my 9 year old falls asleep during the middle of the movie. Need I say more?

Peter J. gave it a9:
Awesome movie. I was expecting a good average movie before watching it, but was totally blown away by the story, acting, and especially the visual effects. I watched the movie with my wife and two young kids and they absolutely loved it. I sometimes pick up my PSP halfway through kids movies, but not this one. I even held my urine for the last 45 minutes!

Peter K. gave it a1:
I am so glad that I saw this film on a plane and did not waste my money at a theater. It is a white-bread home-schooler's fantasy. Wait to see it as a late night rerun so you can sleep through it.

[Anonymous] gave it a4:
Quite boring good for children, lets their imagination run wild!

fred b gave it a6:
this movie was cute but lacked very much entertainment. The acting was pretty poor at times and there was no point in the film were you felt at the edge of your seat.

nicole gave it a9:
Thought it was great. My daughter is 5 and wants to see it over and over again. Would have liked a little more detail on the rabbit and a more detailed ending but over all wonderful

Matt K. gave it a5:
I think this movie works best as a campy, pseudo- horror flick for kids. Instead of E.T. or Close Encounters for middle schoolers, like the exorcist for kids. frickin crazy and ends fairly unsatisfying, but its a fun crazy ride.

Last Mimzy, The New Line Cinema

Last Mimzy, The
New Line Cinema