The Boy and the Beast
FUNimation Entertainment | Release Date: December 4, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesCharles SolomonDec 3, 2015
Hosoda brings emotional depth to what could easily have become a formulaic martial arts saga. Instead, Boy and Beast is a bracing tale of two flawed individuals who find the love and discipline they need to assume their rightful places in their respective worlds. Read full review
80
Total FilmJordan FarleyAug 11, 2017
The burgeoning bond between man and monster hits soaring emotional heights, even if the new world feels a little under-developed. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungSep 26, 2015
Rising to the challenge of delivering a rousing finale, Hosoda does sock over a spectacular climactic battle on and below the streets of Tokyo with imaginative aplomb. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 26, 2015
Though it piles all sorts of emotional baggage onto a series of already-tired believe-in-yourself cliches, Hosoda’s over-complicated script has the virtue of expressing itself less via words than it does through truly spectacular set pieces. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsMar 4, 2016
A visually impressive mix of hand-drawn and CGI animation with basic action-adventure elements that are always viscerally satisfying thanks to Hosoda's apparent warts-and-all love for humanity. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesTom KeoghMar 3, 2016
Anime enthusiasts will enjoy The Boy and the Beast, but so will anyone who appreciates a good fantasy yarn. Read full review
75
The Film StageJared MobarakMar 3, 2016
The style isn’t necessarily inferior to Studio Ghibli—it’s just different.... But once the shift in plot occurs to add drama, the visuals change as well. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelMar 3, 2016
The Boy and the Beast might not quite have the storytelling sophistication to win over every adult, but for teens and tweens in the midst of their own coming-of-age stories, it has the potential to be a wondrous eye-opener. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Johanna SchnellerMay 26, 2016
The soundscape is rich, and the beast-battles well executed. But the characters never develop beyond their two-word descriptors: Conflicted Boy, Lonely Girl, Angry Son, etc. Read full review
63
Boston GlobePeter KeoughMar 3, 2016
For answers, prepare to sit through two hours of complications, though you will probably figure it out before the spectacular ending. Read full review
63
Washington PostPat PaduaMar 3, 2016
It is the world of man, not beast, that makes this coming-of-age movie most touching. Read full review
60
The New York TimesAndy WebsterMar 3, 2016
Mr. Hosoda is skilled with fight scenes, and his settings — the pastel-hued Jutengai and the drab Shibuya, evoked at times with surveillance-camera perspectives and crowd-paranoia angles — are impressive. But the characterizations and conflicts here are strictly generic Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovMar 2, 2016
A huge success in Japan, this thrilling, if overlong, epic from director Mamoru Hosoda (Wolf Children, Summer Wars) is part "Karate Kid" and part Japanese folklore. Read full review
50
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyMar 1, 2016
Mamoru Hosoda's The Boy and the Beast works with many common anime tropes but doesn't find anything new to say about them. Read full review
50
The PlaylistOliver LytteltonDec 3, 2015
There are elements of The Boy And The Beast that undoubtedly reinforce the promise that Hosoda holds: it’s a treat to look at, is inventive in spots, and will probably be eaten up by younger viewers. But it ultimately proves both narratively unsatisfying and emotionally lacking. Read full review
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