In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
The directors Paul and Chris Weitz -- the American Pie brothers -- have tried hard not to make a tearjerker, and at its best the movie is knowing and tart.
Pacing, velocity, and flow dont interest Lowery. He knows the effects he wants and, skilled as he is, knows how to get them. But are they worth getting?
Despite its impressive visual displays in hour one, the film quickly falters in the second half thanks in part to a bland cast stuck in some very silly subplots.