Xiao Men Shen

I can't deny falling in love with this particular piece - in fact, as I write the review I am watching the movie a second time, nor do I think this will be the last. Even more specifically, part of the draw for this particular movie comes from the fact when you talk about quality 3D animated movies for children, the two studios which come to mind are Pixar and DreamWorks, yet this - this piece is not from a Western company, yet is exactly what one is looking for, although I do wish the Western version didn't get trimmed down. Said studio has ... the potential to find itself up there with those two, much like how Studio Ghibli in being a known name, yet even more interesting - this studio isn't from Japan - it's a Chinese studio.

The movie utilizes Chinise mythology - that of the door gods, or guardian spirits, which may not be well known to Westerners watching the series, but the moral lies into accepting change and that while not all change is good, some is, but there's a bit against big business stepping on the small business which will resonate even in the West. The main characters are quite lovable, but this makes for a great find for those interested in something for the family.