Teenage math whiz Kenji Koiso agrees to take a summer job at the Nagano hometown of his crush, Natsuki. When he arrives, he finds that her family have reunited to celebrate the 90th birthday of their matriarch. His job: pretend to be Natsuki's fiancé. Meanwhile, his attempt to solve a mathematical equation causes a parallel world's collision with Earth.
The filmmakers can't keep the strands of their clumsy plot straight, but they create brilliant images and manipulate them with blithe abandon.
– Joe Morgenstern,
Wall Street Journal,
20 Jan 2011
fresh:
An enjoyably trippy Japanese animated feature from director Mamoru Hosoda, Summer Wars combines real-world drama (school crushes, testy relatives) with virtual-world dramatics.
– Steven Rea,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
20 Jan 2011
rotten:
The relationship between Kenji and Natsuki unfolds as blandly as a Debra Messing rom-com.
– Stephanie Merry,
Washington Post,
14 Jan 2011
fresh:
It's a sugar rush of candy-colored images, a beautifully drawn tale of family tradition and a bracing brain tonic about the Internet's charms and vulnerabilities.
– Lisa Kennedy,
Denver Post,
7 Jan 2011
fresh:
A sophisticated yet poignant family entertainment with an appeal beyond Japanese animation buffs.