In a world of unoriginal IP franchises and unnecessary remakes, family friendly cinema is all but craving for something original and timeless. “The Legend of Ochi” should be a welcomed entry into this canon, a wholly original and vibrant fantasy adventure clearly inspired by things like “The Never Ending Story,” “E.T.” “The Dark Crystal,” and ‘Labyrinth.” And while there is some exceptional practical puppetry, gorgeous visuals, and the cutest creature this side of Grogu, the magic is missing from the land. In its effort to be a classic kid friendly throwback, it thrusts itself into some iconic company “The Legend of Ochi” doesn’t quite have the juice to stand among. Its engaging visuals can’t bring together the rather bland narrative and confounding characters that all feel as if they are transported from different films. “The Legend of Ochi” may contain one of the most adorable baby creatures to date, but it lacks that magical childlike wonder that would make the story and characters more memorable.
written and directed by Isaiah Saxon (making his directorial debut) “The Legend of Ochi” takes us to the secluded mountain village of Carpathia, where the people have been battling the elusive Ochi creatures for centuries. Yuri (Helena Zengel) is a young teenage girl who lives with her father Maxim (Willem Dafoe) and brother Petro (Finn Wolfhard) who lead hunting parties into the woods at night to find and kill Ochi. Yuri is a bit ostresized by her family, her quiet and shy demeanor in stark contrast to her militant, obsessed and clearly grieving father. While in the woods after a hunt, Yuri discovers a baby Ochi caught in a trap. She frees him and decides to take him home and return him to his mother. This of course sets off a series of events that will ultimately change everyone and everything in her life as she learns to discover the truth about the world around her and the truth about herself on her long journey with a baby Ochi in tow.
In its most basic form, “The Legend of Ochi” is a breezy, simple coming of age adventure story that should beautifully blend dazzling worlds with situational humor and heartfelt discovery. And if we’re being honest, this is the exact kind of framework when executed well can work time and time again. This has all of the visual flare to sell this story, its matte painting backgrounds and practical effects really shine bright in the digital age, and more than set itself apart from its contemporaries. The Ochi design are exquisite, and one cannot overstate just how damn adorable baby Ochi is. There are moments of genuine charm, and one can easily see what it is going for and what inspired it. Those inspirations always feel like an homage rather than a retread, which lends some levity to “The Legend of Ochi” and its original storytelling.
Unfortunately those charming moments are few and far between, with “Ochi” meandering about its world without connective tissue strong enough to bring all of the pieces together. Zengel’s Yuri can’t quite capture the wonder of the unlikely pair, approaching most of her screen time with a bland and all too quiet reactionary poise rather than a compelling young child other young children would want to be like. She is constantly overshadowed by her cuter, more lovable counterpart in baby Ochi, and never gives us enough to be interested in her journey. Dafoe is a lightning rod of kinetic energy fit for a completely different film. There is never a time I’m not interested in watching Dafoe unhinged, but here, it simply doesn’t fit. This mismash of character choices undercut the film’s conclusion, in which each person is forced to confront their demons and alter their worldviews as their journeys come to an end. It’s resolve feels contrived instead of organic, and it’s the odd characters and lack of an interesting lead that removes the magic from “The Legend of Ochi’s” magical world.
It’s a film I was hoping to love, because while the world around me constantly tries to kill the inner child and any joy that can be found, “The Legend of Ochi” is at least trying to give us something heartwarming that appeals to the kid inside of us. But even with that desire, I found the film to be a slog to get through. Stunning visuals and cute creatures aren’t enough to make an evergreen classic, and the throwback nature of its intentions gets lost in the woods. I’m not even sure kids will sit through “The Legend of Ochi.” Even at 95 minutes, its plodding pacing and bizzare characters won’t hold the attention of a Tiktok generation. Adults may be able to appreciate some of those throwback visuals that remind them of the films they grew up on, but its scarce charm and convoluted lore is sure to have them start checking their watch around the halfway mark.
There’s some charm to be found in “The Legend of Ochi,” and if for nothing else I’m glad something like this exists. We need more risks and practical filmmaking even if the end result doesn’t quite work. The safe, digital, second screen era of cinema is tedious and frustrating, and at least “The Legend of Ochi” is trying to buck the trends and deliver something unique.
I’ll take 35, $10 million “The Legend of Ochi’s” over one $350 million “The Electric State” any day of the week. Now, where do I find a baby Ochi plushy? Asking for a friend.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars
“The Legend of Ochi” is in select theaters April 18th and wide release April 25th. You can watch the trailer below.
