To be fair, it’s apparent that the most effort has gone into the visual effects and the battles, which are the two redeeming factors about this film.

The film is paced well but unfortunately, a lot of the jokes fall flat. The film simmers but never really sizzles, despite moments of potential.

The subject matter could have been interesting but it is mired in tedious, very boring, rural and regional cliches that audiences have already seen, so many times.

For a movie that is about the perils of summoning sinister specters, the film itself could have been scarier.

The basic premise of the film could have made for an engaging and far-out watch. The very concept of the Rapture could have been depicted with power and mystery, but instead the opposite is achieved in a film that just looks slapdash.

The greatest effort seems to have gone into getting the look of the fight scenes correctly in an otherwise bland film.

While the film is pretty to look at (the rendering of forest fires are pretty realistic), it’s not in the same league as a *Frozen*, *Shrek* or *Toy Story.* While the script is full of obvious and easy aircraft metaphors which are funny, it lacks the kind of witticisms and wisecracks that elevate other contemporary animated films so that they can be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

In their unintentional quest for love, Jim and Lauren’s lives and dealing with loss, single parenthood and divorce, offers an interesting and unintentional insight into suburban middle class America. Sandler is firmly in his comfort zone and Barrymore is the cute person she is in most of her films. The movie is no doubt funny, but the genuinely good jokes are just by the handful.

All in all, it’s a slipshod rendering of a classic.

The film is about as literal as it gets, which is Dolph Lundgren shooting things, zombies and robots along with a lot of randomness.