Some of it works, but some of it also feels very off, maybe a little bloated, and somewhat muddled. I'm in the middle of liking it and disliking it, so can see for sure how it's one of Peter Jackson's more divisive films.

The good? I liked most of the music- both the original score and some of the songs used. Heard a couple of Brian Eno tracks in there that worked well- not enough filmmakers seem to realise how well his music can accompany film. (Checking the credits, it seems he wrote original music for the film, too?) Also that cover of Tim Buckley's amazing Song to the Siren was really well used. I think Saoirse Ronan was pretty good, too, and the premise as a whole is intriguing.

Problem is that the tone is off. It just didn't feel coherent to me, and never properly settled into a consistent groove. So while it's supposed to be an emotional story, I don't think I ever felt that emotion properly, as a result. Visuals are a mixed bag, with the film sometimes looking nice, but some (occasionally) poorly implemented special effects make a few scenes look pretty bad. Also wasn't a fan of Mark Wahlberg's performance- I don't think he was particularly well cast here.

It also builds up to a bit of a "that's it??" kind of ending, and one I don't think the movie needed (or deserved) 135 minutes to get to. And on top of that, some parts of the conclusion still feel rushed.

This is a messy review, but it's a messy film. Hard to talk about something so mixed in quality and incoherent in an organised and coherent manner.

Jackson made the similarly flawed Hobbit Trilogy after this, and now after the much better They Shall Not Grow Old and the recent The Beatles: Get Back, it appears he may be more interested in making documentaries now. If that's the case, then I'm all for it... and his older films - especially Braindead and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - do at least remain very rewatchable.