Synopsis:
After disobeying orders and using an untested idea to defeat the Dark Spirit, a promising young doctor accidentally destroys his island and is banished from Kunlun Hospital, forbidden from ever practicing medicine again. But when a young boy comes to him for healing, he may have one more chance to redeem himself—and restore his home.
What We Thought:
Goodbye Monster is one of those films that if you know about the culture you might understand it more. It’s a family-friendly animated film with all kinds of creatures and characters. Overall the story is about an outcast trying to prove himself worthy, but I don’t know if I can say I totally understood it.
All the characters are animal types with fish heads and horns and tails. I’m sure they represent something specific, but I don’t know what that is. The lead character wants to use a spell to banish the dark spirit once and for all. I’m not really sure what the dark spirit represents either or how/why a banner could be used in a magical way to cure people.
But again the concept of an outcast trying to prove people wrong and fit in is understandable. The lead character is banished after an accident and he wants to show everyone he can be a good doctor. On the adventure he meets a young character that wants to grow his horn or heal his horn, something like that.
The bad guy of the film uses a spell the main character had and wants to prove to everyone he’s the best. Of course that goes sideways and he ends up as a big monster. Again, I’m sure it means something in their mythology.
Goodbye Monster probably is popular overseas, but I don’t know if an American audience will grasp it. It’s colorful and has fun characters, but will a younger audience follow along? These tales sometimes go over my head unless I know enough about them in the first place. It has a short run time so that helped get through it.
The Nerds Templar 