Sneaks

The strangest thing about Sneaks, a new animated movie co-directed by Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins and written by Edwards, isn’t that shoes become sentient beings, but that a stacked cast is squandered on such a plodding and predictable story.

I suspect that 'Sneaks' is in no real danger of becoming a classic. I also suspect that there will be those who watch this inscrutable kids flick and appreciate the unexpected amount of effort that went into telling a story this unconvincing.

It’s clearly told from the heart and as exhilarating as putting on a new pair of kicks.

Though its situational conflicts skew young and far too basic for tweens and adults, there’s enough thematic resonance for kiddos to connect with.

What they’ve done here is competent but not consuming.

Cute but not very complex

The opening credits are great but it's all downhill from there

It isn’t too much sillier, I suppose, than the characters in Cars or Planes, and any movie that includes the trash talk, “Your mama is from Payless!” deserves some credit.

The story is familiar and the animation weak, but the film is loaded with top-notch voice talent.

The animation in this shoe-based fairy tale is fairly pedestrian, but that would be forgivable if it was in service of something more imaginative.