Aaron Pinkston Battleship Pretension Jan 5, 2021

Overall, Phantom Boy doesn't have the dense thematic complexity that many animated films have gone for since Pixar became the industry standard but it is a simply enjoyable alternative.

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Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel Apr 1, 2019 3.5/5

Charming and inventive yet modest and unpretentious.

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Rachel Wagner Rotoscopers Feb 6, 2019 4/5

Phantom Boy is a visual delight but also a throwback to a simple superhero story before cinematic universes changed everything.

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Glenn Heath Jr. San Diego CityBeat Aug 22, 2018

Leo's unnerving ability to dance between reality and waking life gives the film a metaphysical tone, yet it's riddled with comedic bits that lighten the mood.

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Craig Mathieson The Sunday Age Jan 1, 2018 3/5

Their quarry is a villain known only as the Man with the Broken Face, a handle that makes sense once you soak in the Picasso-like renderings of these characters, who exist in a different, hand-drawn realm to Pixar's digital might.

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Jessica Baxter Film International Aug 8, 2017

Despite all its whimsy, Phantom Boy manages to cater entirely to children without feeling patronizing. What kid doesn't love the idea of a child hero?

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Tricia Olszewski Washington City Paper Jan 2, 2017

Phantom Boy is simply drawn -- no computer images here-and frequently funny, whether it's the bumbling cohorts of the villain or a couple of scenes that parody The Sopranos.

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Kelly Vance East Bay Express Dec 28, 2016

It's one of the best not-just-for-children animations in theaters this summer -- an action-packed, yet kind-hearted adventure featuring an ailing kid who doubles, in his imagination, as an invisible flying hero.

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Katherine McLaughlin SciFiNow Nov 4, 2016 3/5

Though the narrative follows a standard beat, it is enjoyably told and features many amusing characters.

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Mike McCahill MovieMail Oct 21, 2016

Alas, the storytelling remains one-dimensional.

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Oct 21, 2016 2/5

It has an interesting premise and seems to be about the dark subject of death and childhood, but then backs out nervously towards cops'n'robbers banality.

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Trevor Johnston Radio Times Oct 20, 2016 3/5

For those willing to make allowances, there's a definite artisanal personality to the visual style, and an undertow of emotion as the boy's unknowing family fear they'll lose him forever.

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Oct 20, 2016 4/5

It's an entertaining romp, which for me had weird, engaging echoes with Richard Linklater's Waking Life.

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Kevin Harley Total Film Oct 19, 2016 4/5

Noirish touches flesh out the wispy plot, yet it's the old-school animation that engages most: lending clarity to the emotions at stake, ensuring our sickly hero's resilience tugs on the heart.

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Tom Huddleston Time Out Oct 18, 2016 3/5

Frequently beautiful to look at, but the cops-and-robbers angle feels tired.

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Eddie Harrison The List Oct 17, 2016 3/5

While not for everyone, this old-fashioned adventure with a fresh twist may gain a cult following of those interested in how two French directors challenge the cookie-cutter narrative of most animations.

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Gloria Daniels-Moss HeyUGuys Oct 16, 2016 4/5

There is more than enough for the adults in the audience to bite off and chew - perhaps one or two will find it hard to fight back the tears at times, as well as the chortles which will undoubtedly escape on occasion.

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Sean P. Means Salt Lake Tribune Sep 8, 2016 2/4

Gagnol's thin screenplay gives the animation little to latch onto, and the whole enterprise fades into nothingness.

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Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Jul 31, 2016 B

The movie is simple, small and exudes a certain throwback charm.

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Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Jul 29, 2016 2/5

Missing is the narrative and emotional cohesiveness that would likely have led to [Phantom Boy] being [more] engaging and memorable.

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