
I liked it well enough (I rated it a 10/10), yet I still something felt missing from it. "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" was an enjoyably light-hearted sci-fi/comedy romp in its own right. It definitely has the makings of a labor of love for the Japanese filmmaker. It all just shows the marvelous degree of attention to detail that Hosoda paid to this project. And then there's also all those negative stereotypes that Japanese animation is violent and full of sex. But you know how most American audiences are here: they're pathologically afraid of anything foreign (i.e., not American). Every character in this film is alive and brimming over the top with personality, poise and humor, a rarity in most films these days - whether they be animated or live-action. Unlike most family films, however, this one doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience, nor does it treat its characters in a half-a**ed, perfunctory fashion. Regardless of how you feel about Japanese animation, "Summer Wars" is one film that the whole family can enjoy. All I know is, I would have passed this film had I not read "The Washington Post's" "Style" section early one morning. This has to be the best animated film to come out so far this year, or was it last year (I honestly can't remember). If you liked 2006's "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," you're going to absolutely love "Summer Wars." Mamoru Hosoda's new film is an oddball mix of science fiction, cyber-punk, teen romance and family comedy/drama, all rolled up into one beautiful, lavish-looking Anime' that also somehow manages to throw in a pretty chilling end-of-the-world fight for the future of humanity.
