Can I geek out for a second about my favorite movie?

This thing, the quips and poking fun at the genre? That’s what gives this movie its charm. A lot of it comes from the framing device,

But some of it comes from the characters themselves.

Here’s the thing though. It’s hilarious, it’s witty, it pokes fun at SO much in the genre,

And it’s one of the most earnest movies out there.

The shift comes right before the third act, when the framing device suddenly stops. The kid listening to the story has grown as attached to these characters as we have, and he wants to see the end as much as we do. The movie doesn’t lose its sense of humor, there’s a ton of great moments, but the characters are given the endings we’ve been looking for.

Why do I bring this up? To prove that earnestness doesn’t need to come at the expense of humor, or even sarcasm. It’s all about knowing when to crack a joke and when to be serious.