Film review: adventure not quite larger than leaf

Some aesthetically pleasing computer animation, a well-structured storyline and a rarely mawkish script make for an unexpectedly good fantasy film that will interest children and adults alike. Eco-warriors and ageing hippies will find Epic's green themes and tripped-out imagery a delight, and fantasy fans will enjoy The Lord of the Rings-style settings and action sequences.

Epic's storyline is not wholly original, and reminds one of Avatar, but its plotting is very neat for a family film of this type. The movie is a take on classic stories of fairies in the garden: someone thinks they have seen little people in the shrubbery, and they suffer humiliation and ostracism as a result of their claims. The observer is Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis), a scientist-inventor who is obsessed with a theory about an advanced bug-like society inhabiting the forest. The obsession cost him his marriage - and now his teenage daughter M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) also plans to abandon him.

Meanwhile, out in the forest, the little people are having some problems of their own. They are the guardians of the forest's ecology, something that Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles) keeps in balance through a magic plant bulb. When Tara is murdered by Boggans, orc-like creatures bent on destroying the forest, chaos ensues, and M.K. is accidentally miniaturised. She joins the heroic Ronin (Colin Farrell) and his cheeky stepson Nod (Josh Hutcherson) on an epic quest to save the forest.

The film's visuals are delicate and pastoral. Little birds act as flying chariots, webs and vines as ropes, water lilies become stepping stones, and leaves are wrangled into boats. This gentle vision also harbours violent surprises like hungry mice and slavering dogs.