Marvelous and the Black Hole is a standard coming of age movie that uses animation and magic to try to stand out from other films in the genre. Sammy Ko (Miya Cech) is a thirteen year old trying to cope with the difficulties that come with growing up. Life is not getting any easier and when her father, Angus, (Leonardo Nam) threatens to send her to military camp, it seems like things cannot get worse. A meeting with a magician named Margot (Rhea Pearlman) helps Sammy look at life differently.
Writer-director Kate Tsang is not breaking new ground with her feature directorial debut. The plot goes in expected directions, and even when it does try something different, it is not hard to predict. This is not a knock against Marvelous and the Black Hole; one of the charms of these types of stories is being able to relate to them.
Some of the best parts are when Sammy looks back on her childhood. Sammy’s memories play out like black and white films as she remembers stories she was told. These scenes are particularly impactful since many look back on their youth with fondness. This also carries over to her relationship with adults. Like most teens, she keeps older people at arm’s length, unsure of how much she can trust them.
Though the character can be too much of a trope, Pearlman is excellent as Margot. She genuinely seems to care for Sammy. The odd couple relationship never strays from the formula – complete with Angus opposing the friendship. Margot is a character that is often seen in these types of films. Pearlman just imbues her with more energy.
A person’s enjoyment of the film will depend more on the performances and direction than anything else. Marvelous and the Black Hole is fine as a coming of age story, but aside from neat ideas involving animations and flashbacks, it also offers little that has not been seen before.
Marvelous and the Black Hole opens in select theaters April 22
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