BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

max-seitz-1990 With an inherently traditional, however nearly perfectly executed plot, and a visual style that justly deserves the attributes "fantastic" and "mythical", Strings is a very singular experience. Be it the dark, allegorical story, the fleshed-out characters or the technical sophistication, the movie is a necessary viewing for fans of fantasy and animation movies.Overall 7/10 My full review here: https://goo.gl/6uzPyr

Rennie Petersen I had expected to like this movie better than I did. After all, I live in Denmark, and "Strings" was created by a Danish Director and the production company behind it is to a large extent Danish. Furthermore, I had read several positive articles and reviews about the movie before seeing it.The whole concept is very interesting. We are watching a puppet movie, but not one where the puppets represent people. Well, yes, they do in a way, but at the same time the puppets represent puppets.The many strings that go from the various body parts of the puppets and disappear up into the heavens play a major role in the story. A puppet cannot move past any obstacle above his/her head that prevents the strings from passing. To kill a puppet you cut the "head string", and a new baby puppet is "born" when a new head string is attached to his/her head.Maybe it's my background as an engineer that makes me start to think of all the implications of these concepts. Instead of concentrating on the beautiful photography and the metaphorical side of the story (we, as humans, also have "strings" that put limitations on our freedom of movement), I'm thinking about the architectural implications, etc.The story itself is not particularly innovative. A king dies, the king's evil brother tricks the king's son into going on a mission in preparation to waging war on the neighboring puppets, the son slowly but surely determines the truth, he also falls in love, and eventually peace is restored to the land. If it weren't for the interesting puppet-contra-human aspects it would be rather boring.This is not a movie for children, because children see the story as boring and aren't able to grasp the interesting repercussions of the fact that these beings are puppets and not people.As for adults, I'm sure that many will find the movie innovative and artistic and intellectually stimulating. But then there are the people like me who try to analyze the concept to death, and find it hard to concentrate on the story, while not being particularly impressed by the story.Rennie Petersen

roo1 I happened upon this film the other night, fresh (!) back in Phuket from Burma. Tired though I was, and the film was perhaps a quarter of the way through, I was absolutely mesmerised by it.First, I was trying to guess the actors' voices. Second, I was captivated by the – don't laugh – "acting" skills of the marionettes.Granted, there were no facial expressions, no morphing/animatronics/etc but still there was a warmth to these carved blocks of wood. BTW I was brought up watching Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, et al) and now realise that I have retained a soft spot for filmic puppetry.Perhaps that is part of the attraction of the film for me, the fact that it is reminiscent of half a dozen long-forgotten puppet programmes – generally from Eastern Europe, as I recall – shown during the school holidays when it was probably raining.Gentle – despite the violence in the story – moving and entrancing.Watch it if you can – through child's eyes.

arkana In the world of modern films showing you the realistic nature of violence, this film is a peaceful moment for your soul, allowing you to see the beauty of life. The story is neither complicated, nor exciting, but it's not a drawback. You can feel just by looking at the puppet whether he or she is "good" or "bad", and you can guess how the tale will end. We see a true tale, in an enchanted world of small details and simply-big thoughts: tears are rain, strings are life-force, freedom can be reached, loved ones are connected. We are falling into the screen, into this fantasy world, smilingly. People need tales. (Zita)