Taking Another Look at Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water inspired an IMDb message board thread titled "List your bottom 5 movies of all time." Critics lamented the film's mediocre magic, blasted its muddled plot, and chastised its self-indulgent director.

Maybe they’re right. The film is flawed, scattered and plagued by creatures with hokey names. Its story can sound a little silly, but ultimately it strikes me as a decent bedtime tale that makes a moderately enjoyable film: A narf named Story travels to an apartment complex in Philadelphia via a swimming pool, and must be seen by a specific person so that he will be inspired to write something that will change the world. Grass-backed, dog-like creatures named scrunts hide in the yards nearby waiting to attack, but are allegedly kept at bay by fear of the huge monkey-like Tartutic. Rules govern the scrunts' actions, but they break them and go after Story anyway. People in the apartment complex – specifically those with special powers, a Guardian, a Symbolist, a Guild, and perhaps a Healer – have to help keep her safe so that a giant eagle, the Great Eatlon, can take her safely back to the Blue World.