The Legend of Ochi (in theaters)

There’s magic in a well-made, well-handled puppet.

This is a truth a lot of Hollywood has forgotten, but A24’s “The Legend of Ochi” serves as a great reminder. The fantasy creature from the title is the best part of the movie, an adorable little thing that supposedly doesn’t use a shred of CGI. Watching it come to life will make you remember being a kid and seeing E.T. make his first appearance, and for any kids in your life it’ll make brand-new memories. This is old-school movie magic in the best possible way.

The rest of the movie has that same classic feel, a kid’s adventure movie in a brand-new world. The Ochi are hated and feared by a small Carpathian community, where a hunter (Willem Dafoe) and his foster sons are dedicated to eradicating the entire species. His daughter (Helena Zengal) doesn’t feel the same way, especially after she finds a baby Ochi caught in one of her father’s traps. She decides to return it to its mother, learning things on the way that will change her life forever.

The storyline teeters on the edge of being too simple, and there are definite holes in the overall world building. A (sometimes overly) robust soundtrack makes up for some of the silences, but I wish the movie had had more faith in its leads. The real plot of the movie was in Zengal’s, Dafoe’s, Emma Watson’s and Finn Wolfhard’s expressions, and they all delivered shades of history and emotion that were fascinating to watch.

In a way, it’s just as magical as the puppetry.

Grade: Three stars

The King of Kings (in theaters)

It’s the Easter story with a lot more Charles Dickens than you might expect.

“The King of Kings” is, technically, about the life and times of Jesus Christ. Since it’s based on a story by Dickens, though, the author spends a lot of the movie running around and commenting on things. The author’s King Arthur-obsessed son is there as well, which means that Dickens’ narration tends to focus on more dramatic moments in Jesus’s life. He’s competing with sword-fighting knights and dangerous quests, after all.

Add in computer animation that would once have been described as direct-to-DVD, and the results are what could best be described as OK. Kids are definitely the target audience for this movie, which does have a nice message about being kind to one another. But it also doesn’t shy away from showing Jesus on the cross, and though it doesn’t go into any detail kids may still get freaked out or have questions.

For adults, the experience is more complicated. As a Christian, I don’t want to watch Charles Dickens when I go to a movie that’s supposed to be about Jesus. As a movie critic, I’m less than thrilled by the way their presence distracts from serious moments and adds comedy to inappropriate moments. I understand that they’re trying to appeal to kids, but something like a young, silly sheep would have fit in a lot better and allowed for a smoother shift in tone.

We’re supposed to be here for Jesus, after all. Not Dickens.

Grade: Two stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].