Two brothers find (almost magically) a bag full of money, and lots of it. Damian, the youngest, feels the need to do good with it, while Anthony, more self-centered, wants to use it for personal gain. Both interests aside, they only have a week until the currency switches to euros, giving them almost no time to spend it.

There have been quite a number of films made about young boys getting a lot of money (i.e. BLANK CHECK, RICHIE RICH), but none of them have ended up being all that great. MILLIONS is the first to make good on the promising concept. It’s a creative and mystical journey into the mind of an 8-year-old boy, presented in a style that’s fun, heartfelt, and energetic. It’s the type of movie that you watch and just can’t help but smile through. There’s a great message in it, too. Even stronger than the actual message is the way in which it’s executed, which prevents the film from ever being sappy or noticeably preachy. In fact, most of the time it’s delivered through pleasantly funny moments, as is the rest of the movie. Oh gosh golly gee whiz, I’m getting giddy just thinking about it! (.... Sorry about that; don’t know what got into me.)

The most interesting aspect of this movie is that it’s directed by Danny Boyle, the genius who created such brilliant movies as TRAINSPOTTING and THE BEACH. To think that he would follow up such grungy and dark films with this family-friendly picture might seem odd, which it is, but I’m so glad he did it. Without him, MILLIONS would assuredly be missing a lot of its style and visual energy. Also central to movie’s greatness is the two children actors, who both convey their roles perfectly. Alex Etel is charming and lovable, making him perfect the play the part of the young boy who only wants to do good deeds. Lewis McGibbon is also spot-on as the greedy but still likable materialistic brother. Even the dad, James Nesbitt, shines strong with his somewhat small role.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, MILLIONS is simply a great movie that’s definitely worth your time, so stop reading this review and prepare to feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Video: Presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. An extremely commendable video presentation, sparkling with rich color and clarity.

Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround. A pitch-perfect audio track that delivers audio and musical numbers just fine.

Not a whole lot of extras here.

Commentary (with director Danny Boyle and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce): Both speakers deliver some good tidbits about the film and the production of it. Overall, it’s a decent commentary that’s made especially cool by having Boyle present.

Deleted Scenes (31:24): There are ten of them, none of which are particularly great, but still worth watching for the extra humor that they bring.

Behind the Scenes (13:41): There are four overly short featurettes: “Million Pounds” (the cast and crew discuss the plot of the film and say what they would do if they had that kind of money), “Saints” (a brief discussion about the religious undertones in the movie), “Spirit of the Film” (talks about the movie’s themes/messages), and “Robbery” (shows how the bank-heist sequence was put together).

DVD Cutdown (3:52): A needless 4-minute version of the movie played over some nice music.

There is also a Theatrical Trailer and a Soundtrack Spot.

MILLIONS is probably the most feel-good movie of the year. The creativity it exudes is wonderfully fun, and the overall message is delivered much better than any Disney film can seem to accomplish. Little ones might not be able to understand many of the adult themes portrayed, but they’re sure to get a kick out of the cool visual style. Adults, on the other hand, will probably enjoy the film twice as much as their kids.