Started off seeming very similar to Amelie (The use of a french accordion sealed that). Amelie meets the creature from the black lagoon perhaps. The pace did pick up a bit towards the middle. It is clear why this was an Oscar favourite because it very much visually appealed to the Academy. It was a classic to the extent that it bordered on being cliché in many ways.
Perhaps this is not really my style but I really felt I needed more back story development, a bit more adventure and discovery such as how they found the creature. It felt like a series collages that neatly fitted together in an almost customised way. It did seem a little bit predictable but still sweet in a way. Some of the stereotypes seemed a bit over the top and lacked subtlety but perhaps that was the exact point.