Parents' Guide to Earwig and the Witch

It's not just Studio Ghibli purists who will object to the merits of the company's first computer-generated film, because it lacks an emotional center, a robust plot, and a charming protagonist. Earwig is clever, curious, and fearless, but she's also undeniably self-centered and controlling -- even boasting that there's no point in leaving the orphanage because it would mean fewer people to boss around. The animation is an obvious, purposeful departure from Ghibli's iconic hand-drawn style, and while it's laudable that Goro Miyazaki (the late, legendary Hayao's son) is trying to expand the studio's offerings, the result might be too different. It's as if Pixar were to release a quirky stop-motion movie or something like Wolfwalkers or The Secret of Kells. Something just would not compute.

The departures might have been easier to digest if Earwig and the Witch were generally a better film, but it's underwhelming and unlikely to be a crowd-pleaser -- even with the English-dubbed version featuring Musgraves' singing and the gravitas of Grant and Stevens, both of whom are fine voice actors. Despite the movie's flaws, families and kids will still find moments to enjoy, particularly the relationship between Earwig and Thomas the cat. But it has a lot of unanswered questions, and you have to wonder whether Miyazaki simply chose the wrong book to adapt. Jones also wrote Howl's Moving Castle, but Earwig isn't a fraction as magical.