Μύ Offbeat fantasy adventure The Last Mimzy is based on a short story by Lewis Padgett, and director Bob Shaye fleshes it out with a lot of New Age mysticism and mind-bending physics theories. It's basically "ET with a BSc" garnering mixed reviews for its ambitious sweep. Sadly, at the worldwide box office it struggled to compete with big glossy CG toons (opening at No.10 in the UK).
The Whimsy Of Mimzy
In a batch of six behind-the-scenes featurettes, the filmmakers tell us the story from the initial glint in producer Michael Phillips' eye to its eventual realisation on film. Inevitably the biggest challenge was expanding the story to fill the widescreen canvas, and so screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin turned to the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism for answers. That's why the 'Mandala' (basically a geometric pattern of the universe) became a recurring image in the story.
Though easily described on the page, ethereal images like penumbras (wisps of partial light) and Norander's futuristic lab, had the special effects dept scratching their heads. Of course they worked it out in the end using a blend of practical effects, including matte paintings, and CGI. The casting of the kids (Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn), music, sound effects and editing are also discussed in these featurettes.
In case all that talk of penumbras and Mandalas leaves you baffled, another six featurettes help to demystify the mystic and scientific theories at the heart of the story. The makeup of DNA, the creation of sound waves, nanotechnology and the concept of wormholes all come under the spotlight. (Where's Johnny Ball when you need him?) Experts on literature are invited to the party as well to compare and contrast The Last Mimzy and Alice Through The Looking Glass.
The Remnants Of Mimzy
During his commentary for eleven deleted scenes, Bob Shaye admits that test audiences did find a few of the earlier scenes "tedious". Indeed they are, but the director at least imparts a couple of funny behind-the-scenes anecdotes. E.g. A scene where Larry (Rainn Wilson) bares his buttocks ended up costing $10,000; Parents found it too risquΓ© for their children so at great expense Shaye was forced to go back and airbrush a pair of leopard skin underpants over the naked flesh! Surely, it would have been cheaper to go with plain black...
Shaye has another dig at the test audiences in his commentary for the film. This time those pernickety moms and dads were outraged by the notion that Larry - a teacher of young children - should be in bed with a woman who isn't his wife. The director fought his corner on that issue, but agreed to change the title of the film from simply Mimzy. "People thought it was a stripper's name," he explains.
If all this talk of bums and strippers seems a little too racy for your kids, then direct them to the games section. Three interactive puzzles testing memory and cognitive skills will keep them occupied for hours. Although the mishmash of science and hippy wisdom is a bit muddling, older children should enjoy the trip.
EXTRA FEATURES
The Last Mimzy DVD is released on Monday 20th August 2007.
