Just…enough
What Works: For me, there is just not much to recommend here. I guess the few brief flashes of fun are mostly found on Eva Green’s cartoon campy face (which you’ve now seen in several other fantasies) and a handful of cool visuals, but mostly this is a huge wash.
What Doesn’t: Other critics are saying this is “on brand” for Tim Burton, but that’s the problem: his “weirdness” has now become so manufactured it’s a brand. And his “brand” has become increasingly joyless and impersonal. There is not a spark of energy behind this thing, and even his actors—particularly lead Asa Butterfield—are acting with a stilted, monotone quality. This is Burton’s version of a paycheck job.
What I Would Have Done Differently: The CGI-fest fatigue has hit an all-time high for me, and I personally could go years without seeing another film with Tim Burton’s name attached to it.