Good concept, poorly executed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

I don't know. Been trying to find words for a long time and I still cannot describe accurately what is wrong with this movie. It is like someone was pathologically obsessed with Gilliam (esp.Brazil) and vowed to develop his style to perfection. And this perfectionism led to the point of absurdity - it is so overly polished that the final result is utterly irritating beautiful empty shell without any life inside.

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.Ron Perlman is a great actor. He has an unusual look (not ugly, just different) and has used it to angle for some great roles in fantastic film. This one, of course, but also "Hellboy" and others. He is an unlikely success story, and good for him! And these guys make such good films, with a beautiful cinematography and a blend of the surreal and the fantastic. And plenty of humor. Arguably, "Amelie" is their best, but this is great, and so is "Delicatessen". It would be hard to pick just one.

I am surprised by how this movie has received this rating! To me it was a very disappointing movie, sad, disturbing and meaningless! I like surreal movies as they can take imaginations and take it one step further. This movie though was not successful at all. As another review mentioned: Have you ever been disappointed by a book by a favourite author. I really admire John Wyndham's works and would include "Day Of The Triffids", "The Chrysalids" and "The Midwich Cuckoos" among SciFi classics, so I once read "Stowaway To Mars" (one of his earliest stories). After a few pages, I thought "This is rubbish, but it's by John Wyndham, so it's bound to improve" and kept on reading - it didn't get any better (if anything it got worse) and I eventually finished the book with an acute sense of disappointment.

This is really one of the best movies I have ever seen, and it is one of my personal favorites. Its imaginative and powerful premise is brought to life by a creative story, excellent acting, skilled direction, innovative special effects, dreamy visuals, and a surreal atmosphere. The City of Lost Children also has a gloomy and chilling soundtrack that suits the movie perfectly. The movie takes place in a corrupt, dismal town filled with orphans, villains, and miscreants. Most of the adults are portrayed as evil, while the kids are the heroes. However, there is one good adult, who befriends the orphans. His brother is one of the many kids to have been kidnapped by the mad scientist named Krane. The scientist is incapable of dreaming, and makes a machine that connects his head to the heads of children. He uses this contraption to haunt the kids' dreams because he cannot dream on his own. He believes his lack of dreams is causing him to age prematurely. But the kids are stuck on the "island" that is his laboratory. That is a simplified, condensed summary of the movie. It is sometimes hard to follow, though, because of its intricate plot. Many critics have praised its originality, though some have complained that many of its fascinating concepts are not fully developed, or explained. They seem to think that the movie needed to be longer to offer a full explanation. While this argument does have merit, I believe that the movie would have lost momentum, had it been longer. The City of Lost Children is not perfect, but it is a rich and vivid fantasy that is otherworldly, evocative, and moving. It is not for everybody, though; some will be turned off by its nightmarish mood and complex narrative; however, that does not change the fact that it is an engaging and refreshing film in that it is totally original. The City of Lost Children showcases enormous talent and ability, in so many areas: story, direction, characterization, visuals, music, and acting are all top-notch. It is certainly one of the most original movies of the decade, and one of the most imaginative and compelling films I have ever seen.