It is enchanting before the plot kicks in. After that, some of the transportive magic slips away.

It is thoughtful, emotionally honest and engaging when it comes to families and the art of directing. The performances are strong and the writing is patient and well-observed.

Literally, the one thing that matters for a movie like this is whether or not it is funny. I laughed a lot.

It is a pleasant enough cash grab, with a few laughs, but nothing worth going out of your way to see.

It is a sweet, funny, rom-com, that comes off as smart and slightly old-fashioned in the way it approaches subjects like love and death with a light hand.

This is the definition of a feel-good movie. It is all the better because it doesn’t push its audience to feel a certain way. We don’t need to hear speeches about how making people happy changes him. It trusts the story to work its magic.

It is a better package, maybe because having an actual conclusion gives it a purpose, as well as stronger narrative momentum.

Does that faithfulness make for a better movie? It is certainly better made. However, I am not sure it is as entertaining.

It feels like every other PG-13 sci-fi/action blockbuster, with nothing all that interesting to distinguish it.

The pieces are there for something great. It sometimes feels like it is approaching that. I had high hopes. Though it didn’t meet them, it is still a well-made, challenging, film.