Wonder Park

(PG) ★★★½

Director: Dylan Brown. 

Cast: (voices of) Brianna Denski, Ken Hudson Campbell, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Norbert Leo Butz, Oev Michael Urbas, Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, Ryan Fitzgerald, Michael Wipfli.

Bacon was back on the menu.

Firstly, let's get something out of the way. This movie is about a fictional theme park called Wonderland, yet the movie is called Wonder Park. I can't figure out why the movie isn't called Wonderland unless it's because of some kind of copyright issue, in which case why didn't they just call the theme park in the movie Wonder Park and be done with it? Who knows.

That aside, Wonder Park is a surprisingly layered adventure about the power of imagination, overcoming depression, growing up, and how tragedies can shape us in a positive way. This might seem like a lot for a kids film, but it's a refreshing level of thematic depth that helps overcome many of the movie's shortcomings.

The story follows June (Denski), a young girl who uses her imagination to build a theme park called Wonderland in her bedroom with her mother (Garner). This long-running game morphs into a physical toy that June and her mum build, which slowly takes over much of their house.

When her mother has to go away for a while, June decides Wonderland isn't any fun anymore and packs it away. But while walking through the woods near her town one day, June stumbles across a real Wonderland that has fallen into ruin, its occupants besieged by an attacking force known as The Darkness (no, not that Darkness).

A coming of age tale dealing with deep emotions, but dressed in a bright, bubbly and accessible manner involving theme parks and imagination? That's somewhat reminiscent of Pixar's Inside Out. But let's be clear - this isn't even close to Inside Out's brilliance. However it does strive for a level of maturity and intelligence that is impressive, and it succeeds more often than it fails.

The failures come from some lacklustre dialogue, a sense the film if running out of ideas by its third act, and some flat or uninspired voice performances. As much as I adore John Oliver's work, his efforts here grind my gears, while Denski often sounds too old for the role of June (although it's hard to gauge her age). 

There is a familiarity about it all that's a little irksome too. It's part-Alice in Wonderland or Spirited Away, part-Inside Out, part-Neverending Story, but the theme park idea sustains the film across its blissfully short running time. 

For the most part, Wonder Park works. For the youngsters, the talking animals and some great action sequences (most notably an awesome scene in which June builds her own rollercoaster-esque ride) will be enough to keep them entertained. As the audience gets older, Wonder Park reveals more wonders. What it has to say about mental health, imagination, and growing up is worth listening too, and it says these things in interesting ways.

Big ideas and a handful of inventive moments of excitement help make this worthwhile for all ages. While it's not without its mis-steps, Wonder Park is better than its trailer and premise suggest, providing a colourful and thoughtful piece of family entertainment.