Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
ActuallyGlimmer
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
rlaris
The animation was awful, the actors could of been better (that bootleg Kate Winslet got on my nerves). Lang Lang was the highlight of the whole film (give him his own film..please). The voice over of Fred was ridiculous (huff). That Jane should of been at school, plus why was her mum American? The angles need to be worked ( more Lang Lang). Please don't make another one. Is Fred transgender? P.S The story didn't make sense. Lang Langs backstory was utterly heartbreaking was wasn't he the lead. Maybe more dialogue for Fred? Give Lang Lang an Oscar. Wasn't very realistic, even for a children's film.The audio at times was either too loud or quiet.The story was extremely hard to follow, had no clue what was going on.Not a recommended watch.
Art_of_Aimee
This feels like a movie created by AI rather than humans. It is AWFUL. The animated short "The Magic Piano" should be pulled out and re-packaged as a short; the stop-motion animation there is charming and the dialogue-free story told through Chopin's music would work for many people of various ages. Instead, "The Magic Piano" is jammed into this bizarre low-budget framing starring Heather Graham--huh? Did she lose a bet to someone?) that is at best a redundant rehashing of the plot points in "The Magic Piano." This framing story drags and drags painfully along (with tidbits of Chopin trivia artlessly and bizarrely squeezed in along the way). The children who watched this with me started commenting "This movie is way too long" at 30 minutes in, and I felt awful that their parents did not shut the thing off to spare them.I cannot believe anyone has given this positive reviews unless paid to do so, which is why I am taking the time to explain my 1-star rating. It appears from the credits that a number of international entities collaborated to get this made (one of them has to be a Chinese Tourism Board of some kind), and this is my plea to the world that we abandon further attempts to make any films in this artless and painful way.
duzeska
Watching The Flying Machine was a truly unique experience and it will probably be the same for viewers in any age group. The first part of the film, which is a stop-motion animation with no dialogues, just the music of Chopin, is a small masterpiece. I can just imagine the incredible amount of work it must have taken to create a world so complex and full of beauty using puppets and I'm very impressed. The second, live action part, is less dreamy and more energetic, as we view the adventures of over-worked mom Georgie and her two kids: Fred and Jane, who travel on the flying machine through Europe, following the footsteps of Fredric Chopin. Chopin, who is the key to the film and whose music (performed by Lang Lang) was surprisingly touching and beautiful for me (I never thought I would be into classical music) is not only a musical genius, but an interesting character as well, as we get to know more about him during the film. I think one of the best things about the film is the fact that it can reach so many different viewers: animation fans, musical fans, families, those who want to learn about Chopin and classical music as well as those who dream about adventures. Go and see yourself!
lucy-v-peck
Superb animation set to Chopin music played by Lang Lang. Anyone, adult or child, who likes the original Fantasia will love this. The variety of animation is delightful and the three dimensional presentation heightens the excitement of the story which takes one from a nostalgically pre-modern Poland to high-tech London. My only reservation is some of the casting on the non-animated characters but this does not detract from the central story which is wonderfully moving and highly relevant to the situation in the world today, featuring an economic migrant father and a daughter left behind in Poland. The short films that are incorporated are varied and charming.
