The Legend of Ochi

...a charming throwback to adventure movies of the ‘80s like “The Neverending Story” and “The Dark Crystal,” complete with original puppetry that reportedly contains not an ounce of CGI manipulation.

...feels big in a way that suggests the boundlessness of a child’s capacity for imagination.

...is the umpteenth modern film inspired by vintage Amblin adventures. But it’s the first in a long time to feel appropriately innovative in its form and themes.

...consistent with its tendency to prioritize high art experimentation and unexpected endings, which can be wonderful for some but off-putting for others.

The film’s at its most breathtaking when simply luxuriating in the lush, dreamy ambience of its remote landscape...

...director Isaiah Saxon deploys old-school animatronics and puppetry to breathe life into his beasts of the Romanian wild, which roam the woods surrounding a sleepy island village on the Black Sea.