Little Boy

The title of this World War II fable refers to the code name for one of the atomic bombs that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, although it also points to the film's protagonist: Pepper (Jakob Salvati), a kid who is so short that the town doctor is considering a diagnosis of dwarfism. Bullied mercilessly, Pepper has constant support from his dad, with whom he shares boys' adventures gleaned from comic books and movie serials. But when his father is shipped off to war and goes MIA, Pepper grows increasingly depressed until one of his movie heroes, a magician turned crime-fighter, supposedly endows him with the power to move objects at will, which he uses to try to bring his dad home. The kindly parish priest tells Pepper that the real power lies with God, and Pepper must move Him by performing charitable acts, most notably befriending Hashimoto (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), the only Japanese-American person in town and the target of racist hatred. Much of the film is devoted to the budding relationship between Pepper and Hashimoto, who helps the boy fulfill the works of mercy that the priest has assigned. As a religious parable, Little Boy is pretty nutty; as a movie it's a different sort of bomb, terribly earnest but also earnestly terrible. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (10 min.), the animated short “Snack Attack” (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)