Toy Story meets The Terminator in this sci-fi oddity from New Line Cinema boss Bob Shaye, who was apparently so taken with this tale of a time-travelling rabbit – the Mimzy of the title - he decided to step behind the camera for the first time in 17 years. Spielberg won't be lose any sleep over that one, though perhaps he should: while the script throws in endless gubbins about tele🌃pathy, palmistry anไd Tibetan philosophy, it can't hide the blatant lifts from Close Encounters, ET and Batteries Not Included.

Mimzy ends up with a pair of precocious Seattle siblings who find that prolonged exposure to 🙈this fluffy plaything turns them into mini-geniuses. Unfortunately it also brings the Department of Homeland Security - woodenly represented by Michael Clarke Duncan - down on their heads, cueing the inevitable race against time to send Mimzy home. Cliches notwithstanding, this trippy fantasy always keeps you watching, even if it is with open-mouthed bemusement.