Packs more sadness than the familiar fairy tale but offers its own fantastical delights. Ye Xian's party dress, made of teardrops, suits her -- and her story -- perfectly.
70
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
A sweetly engaging effort that manages a fair amount of charm and innocence in spite of the rather seedy surroundings.
To some degree, it's trying to find the magic in the everyday, but the attempts to ground it are cringe-inducing and problematic.
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
David Kaplan's sweet, if superficial, fairy tale won't change the world, but it makes nice use of its setting (Chinatown) and visual style (rotoscope animation).
60
NPRBob Mondello
NPRBob Mondello
Kaplan keeps the story breezy and brisk, and provides his down-to-earthily modern fairy tale with an appropriately other-worldly visual style.
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Has a certain weird charm, but it's too seamy for children and too simplistic played for adults.
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
Too raw for kids and too simplistic for adults.
40
Variety
Variety
That the film is animated gives it an appropriately magical feel, but it can't save the story from being drowned in devices and stereotype.
20
Village Voice
Village Voice
Year of the Fish is the kind of really bad movie it takes a lot of misplaced conviction to make.