This film tells the story of a young Australian boy who just lost his mother to a car accident. He finds new purpose in life by making paper planes that fly far, and competes in interval international competitions."Paper Planes" has a predictable plot and is full of stereotypical characters, such as a fat bully and a naughty grandfather. Yet, the film is sweet and fun. It breathes of positivity and hope, encouraging children and adults to look on the bright side and believe in yourself. It reminds people to look out for each other and be supportive of people going through a tough time.

Just when you thought there were no new rite of passage stories to tell? Along comes 'Paper Planes'. This is a well made, textured tale which is deceptively simple in approach, but with much to say about grief, loss, peer pressure, ambition, ego and pride. Ostensibly this is a film about folding pieces of paper and making them fly far!!!! It is about so much more. Director and Co-writer Robert Connolly has made some serious movies in his career including Balibo, The Bank and as Producer of the award winning The Boys and Romulus my Father. This foray into filmmaking, looks on paper, pardon the pun, as a softer option, but at a closer inspection, there are as I've outlined some weightier themes. The film and its success do rest on 2 ingredients: 1 The terrific visual effects that allow both the paper planes and the films narrative to take flight. 2 The casting and performance of Ed Oxenbould in the leading role. With acting parents and an uncle who was a child star of film and television, 12 year old Ed has racked up 3 major film roles within a 12 month period - in two Hollywood features and this Australian production. Ed has such intelligence and sensitivity on screen, and yet he never appears inauthentic or tryhard; difficult when in virtually every scene and required to act off some pretty heavy hitting screen partners: Sam Worthington, Deb Mailman and veteran Terry Norris. In some scenes Ed seemed like a boy; in others as a young man, the timing of shooting is critical when filming a story about a rite of passage into manhood and especially when the narrative carries grief and loss as well in that mix. Big things are predicted for this young actor.There are some broadly sketched characters, and some (David Wenham's sport star and Dad to the movie's villain) are underwritten. Other reviewers have commented on Sam Worthington's moping father routine, but I thought he carried it pretty well; a point of difference to his usual strident and big character roles. At the end of the day, this is the young man's story as he finds an expression for his energies and for his own losses. It is that which lifts this movie above just being a family friendly film about aiming for the sky and hoping to win. It also points to the degree that society and our kids have lost touch with the simple things. The symbolism of paper planes for a bygone era resonated with this baby boomer. It is the astute writing and naturalistic performance by the lead, that elevate this into something more significant about growing up, the importance of loyalty and mateship and the mantra of never giving up. I'm really pleased this movie has found an audience and will long be remembered, even with all the paper folding.

Saw this yesterday in Dubai with my two kids who are also Aussies, yet not born there. We all liked it enough to score an 8. Enjoyed all the imaginative aspects. Especially liked the positive, assertive approach to bullying which has been a problematic kids theme forever. Sam Worthington's character lacked substance. The depiction of a country school was delightful and the scenery / sounds of Australia were vivid after too many years as an ex-pat. The last kids film from Oz like this was Napoleon (1995) also featuring animals and gorgeous imagery. Very happy to see how important the 'people' relationships were highlighted and a testament to Aussie values. The Grand Dad character was a treat.

Paper planes, Australian landscapes and a cheeky grandpa, sounds like fun. Popcorn and a large drink... roll the film... An Australian film about a paper planes contest? Cool, an original concept, but will the story get any lift or will it take a nose dive? Kid's Korner rating: 3 stars Parent's Rating: 3.5 starsOne of the biggest challenges of teaching 12 year old students is keeping them interested and engaged. A similar challenge for the director of a children's film targeted at a modern audience. Dylan (Ed Oxenbould) comes into a class that is full of classmates who are focused on the latest technology and do not interact with one another. When his teacher asks for all of their phones and devices, then introduces a student teacher who challenges the class to fly paper planes. There is a tenuous moment of consideration by the class, but they take up the challenge with enthusiasm and a competitive spirit. After winning the class challenge, Dylan gets ready for the next levels of competition in the region and around the country. He is encouraged by his friends and teacher to learn about effective flying of paper planes and how to win the future competitions. Dylan must work through the recent loss of his mother and the inevitable mourning of his father (Sam Worthington). As the multiple layers of this statonary aviation tale unfold, the competitions are merely a backdrop to this unique and heartfelt film. It may seem like an odd premise for a big budget film, but Paper Planes is a wonderful, laugh-out-loud film directed by Australian Robert Connolly. The Australian cast is a who's who of modern cinema, but the film was masterfully carried by Oxenbould. The light-hearted story has its share of plot holes, but the family centric adventure was a joy to experience. The strength of the story makes up for some of the less than believable components. Connolly puts forward a seemingly breezy theme that opens the door to an unexpectedly mature backstory of life and death. He fortunately manages to skirt past the after school special story line. Even though there is the stereotypical bully, the chubby friend and the cool grandpa, the slow unfolding of the story allows for an unexpected depth to the film. Connolly's film is a joy for the younger and the older audience members. Dad asked the question on the ride home, 'What did we think of the film?' Simple story, but it was fun to the end. The bittersweet father/son relationship unfolds in a timely manner and does not get boring. It made us want to go out and buy a paper plane book and travel out to the country side of our beautiful homeland. Australia is beautiful and the film was pretty good, too. Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. What does the Bible say about death of a loved one? (Psalm 34:18, Revelation 21:4) 2. Why is family important? (Nehemiah 4:14, Ephesians 5:25)What is Kid's Korner? Click on the link and see. Kid's Korner are shorter reviews written by Russell Matthews' kid's perspective and based on a five star rating system @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews