The autumn equinox has not yet passed, and according to the solar terms, it is still summer. But the early morning wind has turned cold, and it feels a bit autumnal. This feeling doesn't last long, only 3 hours at most, and the midday sun will make you lose all memories of coolness. I like the evening, when the residual heat on the ground will not dissipate, and the oncoming wind has both the warmth of summer and the tenderness of autumn. The horizon was a swarm of dark clouds, but it never rained. Everything was just right, everything was so eclectic: half light, half dark, half hot, half cold.
If the compromise is all good, then finding good things is much easier. But sometimes, compromise means incompleteness. The movie "1/2 of the Magic" tells a story: the fairy in fairy tales has entered the high-tech era, and the magic is gradually disappearing. The younger brother Ian has been longing to see his father who died of illness, and received his father's stay on the birthday of adulthood. The magic wand, which contains a "resurrection within 24 hours" spell can make the father return to the world. But by accident, Dad only recovered a lower body with pants on. So Ian and his brother Barry, who loves to play and ponder magic, go to find the Phoenix Stone that can restore his father's upper body.
The plot of the movie is so simple that when we walk out of the cinema, we can't help but feel that this is a children's work. But in fact, there are very few works purely for children. Gifts given to children by adults are always scrutinized by adults countless times. In fairy tales, under the halo of bravery, perseverance, justice and these beautiful qualities of warriors and dragons that are as simple as symbols, there is also the shadow of fatalism. The perseverance of warriors to cut through thorns and the endless waiting of evil dragons are either called blessings or curses. It seems that the actions of all things must be decomposed into reasons for existence one by one. And adventure, of course, needs a reason.
The reason for Ian's adventure is to find the Phoenix Stone for his father. His first main quest was to persuade the Manticore Flying Lion to obtain the treasure map of the Phoenix Stone. Ian's persuasion is not very clever, he pointed to the previous photos of the manticore and said, "She looks like she lived to take risks." Born to take risks, this is an exciting slogan, I can fully imagine, warriors The clenched fist and the head held high when the slogan was uttered. But who says you have to take risks in life to experience adventures? This question of the manticore is natural and acute, ordinary and profound. Why do people live? It is no exaggeration to say that this question is almost as old as the history of human civilization.
Some people say that the value of a person lies in creating value, in the responsibility and contribution to society. According to this logic, a person's life should be a life of labor and dedication, and a life of selfless service to the people. If someone has done this, I have no doubts, I will sincerely admire and sincerely thank him for what he has done for mankind, including me. But now I'm thinking, am I admiring him for creating social wealth, or admiring him for realizing self-worth. If he admires him for realizing his self-worth, then whether this value comes from serving the society or sticking to his original heart. This is not a problem when the original intention and the service to the society overlap. But what if it doesn't match? If the original intention is personal comfort and wealth, or even revenge and damage to the society, is our persistence still worthwhile? In other words, should our value in life be judged by others?
We depend on and are bound by society. Perhaps this is why we cry out for freedom. Bound in an invisible interpersonal network, we are like tiny ants. All our struggles can only be exchanged for symbolic tremors. Only the deeper and deeper scars on our bodies testify to our helplessness. Therefore, the manticore said: you must take risks to experience adventures. Ian awakened the sleeping lion, and she breathed fire, burning the mask of the imitator and the shackles of the submissive. At that moment, she changed her humble attitude and became the self with courage, strength and hope. Maybe this is the fire of the heart, maybe this is the magic. Maybe magic is not about changing the world, but about changing yourself.
Almost everyone in the movie has changed. The centaur who started running again, the elf who learned to fly, and his brother Barry. In an age where magic is on the decline, it seems impossible for someone who is obsessed with magic and spells to achieve a career. It took a long time before the movie to shape Barry's naughty and carefree. It is hard for us to imagine that such a fearless child also missed the last time with his father because of fear. It is also difficult for us to imagine that such a naughty child has always played the role of a father in another child's world. When all courage comes from regret, when all wickedness comes from love, child and father are just two titles of the same person. This may also be a manifestation of 1/2 magic - two identities with only one body.
The shaping of mother Laurel before and after is also relatively successful. In the first half of the movie, Laurel is a very typical mother figure. Slightly fat body, strong and optimistic character. It is often very verbose, and conveys a strong love when you are about to be bored, making you feel ashamed and self-blame for your boredom. She will prepare your birthday present, kiss you, and shield you. In the second half, the plot of the mother and the manticore flying lion fighting the stone dragon together made her image more plump. The participation of the mother is decisive in defeating Shilong and reappearing the father. This may also be the metaphor of the title - the mother as 1/2 of the parent - protects the child's life and hope with love as the magic.
The sun had already set more than half of the time when the father was fully summoned. Clearly the evening was not a good time for Ian and Barry. After going through countless hardships and obstacles, and after luckily completing countless life and death tests, the reward he got was only a glimpse in the cracks of the stone. It may be that the imprint left by the subtle influence of traditional culture is too deep, and the final farewell to our loved ones is so important in our hearts. That last look and smile always seem to contain the tenderness of the family's life, and use this as strength to protect the safety of the beloved.
At the end of the story, both brothers are hugged by their father. Ian learned to invite, and Barry owned the second-generation Thunder Chariot. The unicorn on the car door was in high spirits, without the embarrassment of dangling beside the trash can before. When the Thunder Chariot took to the air, he might also recall the way his ancestors ran wildly in the air.
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