Paper Planes (U)

Director: Robert Connolly

Starring: Ed Oxenbould, Sam Worthington, Ena Imai

LIGHT, airy and full of simple pleasure, Australian film Paper Planes shares a lot in common with its subject matter.

Robert Connolly's cheesy but warm-hearted story is about 12-year-old Dylan (Ed Oxenbould) who discovers he has quite a knack for making paper planes when a special visitor from the championships visits his school.

He is persuaded to compete and soon finds himself jetting off to Sydney and then Tokyo.

Connolly's film is squarely aimed at families and it has all the typical but important messages for young viewers in terms of winning and losing and grace in the face of adversity.

But Paper Planes' biggest strength is the backdrop to the story about a father and son reconnecting.

Dylan's dad Jack (Avatar's Sam Worthington) is jobless and depressed after the death of his wife in a car crash.

He is still heartbroken and clings to the past, watching old home videos and sports.

But in the process he struggles to get behind Dylan's enthusiasm for the championships – which is his son's own way of coping by losing himself in a hobby.

It is as much about moving on as it is about paper planes and as you might expect it follows a familiar formula but manages to tug on your heartstrings nonetheless.

It is the kind of film where you just have to go with it. If you start to scrutinise Dylan's uncanny understanding of aerodynamics it would probably start to tumble like one of his rivals' planes.

But Ed Oxenbould, who is known for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, is extremely likeable as spirited Dylan.

And you also get a bit of comedy relief thanks to Terry Norris as Dylan's lothario grandpa.

- Paper Planes is being shown at Vue in Altrincham on Saturday and Sunday at 10am and at Vue at The Lowry in Salford Quays on Saturday and Sunday at 10.30am.

RATING: 6/10

DAVID MORGAN