The Whimsy of New Line's "Mimzy"

In the movie a capsule is sent from the distant future; a time when the foundations of our own reality do not exist and when two plus two does not equal four. It asks you to stop and re-evaluate the world around you, and the site lets your mind wander into their world of anomaly and paradox.

You can download screensavers, wallpaper and aim icons; or go to the time lab to visit your past, present and future. The time lab gives you the chance to send a message "back in time" 10 years, and it asks what you would tell yourself to change your present life. In the future section, you can set a countdown to the movie's release date and embed the timer into your blog or MySpace profile. For the present, you can capture and contain an exact moment in time by using your own voice to create a unique aural signature that you can share with friends.

New Line Cinema even made a site designed specifically for kids which offers interactive downloads and games. They have also created a graphic novel contest, with the help of Lulu where people can submit their own representation of the original short story, "Mimsy Were the Borogroves," to win a trip to San Diego.

The movie markets to both children and adults with these multi-dimensional campaigns, asking them to suspend reality to question whether or not they would make things different in the past if they had the opportunity, or go forward to see their own outcome.
-- Krisserin Canary, associate editor, iMedia Connection

While user-generated content is still so hot (the creation of a new UGC category at the MTV Movie Awards, YouTube giving out trophies for the best user-generated videos, Nickelodeon soliciting original digital content for its live-action tween series and writing the best into the show, and so on), "The Last Mimzy" is appropriately incorporating this do-it-yourself attitude that the web fosters. First, the user comments section for each of the 14 topics is a lot of fun. I found it interesting that some users opted to post their full email address instead of just the name that's asked of them (perhaps they're looking to extend this experience ala social networking). So if you've encountered Indigo children or have your own Jabberwocky theory, get in there! 

Even more interesting than just allowing comments are the child-friendly contests (again, that ever-popular "create your own…" theme)! I'm curious to see the results of the creative graphic novel contest; how about an e-list for those who aren't submitting but would still like to see the entries and winner? 

I think children will enjoy the online experience even more than adults. With some kids spending hours a day on Club Penguin for example, The Last Mimzy's stimulating site for kids could serve as quite a diversion with its variety of interactive games and downloads. 

The site design, copy and audio all work well together. The five sub-navigation options that sparkle when mousing over HOME is a special touch. And who wouldn't appreciate the option to enter a zip code for showtimes and tickets? Perhaps users would have enjoyed hearing more of the film's score than one repetitive tune, but overall I believe this site will still offer an engaging experience for children and adults, both before and after seeing the film.  I'm intrigued, and I'm going to see it, in a theater!
-- Natalie DiPasquale, online relations manager, Ripple Effects Interactive

"The Last Mimzy" site is one of the rare pieces of creative that works for me on nearly every level. The microsite is a beautifully immersive experience, with plenty of sci-fi topics to explore and discuss. From time travel and wormholes to extrasensory perception, the microsite provides an introduction to a topic and then invites the user to participate.
 
Graphically the site is magnificently appropriate. The "energy field" rotates images from the film and is stunning to look at. For me, the orb enhanced the overall experience as I explored the different areas of the site. Its slow, rhythmic pulsating wasn't distracting at all, but instead added another mysterious element to the page. The same energy field is used in other areas; one of which allows you to share messages with people from the past and future. Enter your age and some advice and drag it into the energy field. In return, you are given advice from someone in the future. Confused? Don't be. Its sci-fi, so suspend your disbelieve for a while and enjoy. 
 
As with most microsites, the rich experiences still take a while to load, but in this case, it's worth waiting for. In one of the more unusual features, the Time Lab, users are invited to speak into a PC's microphone to capture your "aural signature" which is then turned into a graphical spiderweb interpretation using virtual spiders. Here, too, they provide embed codes for you to post or share.
 
In addition to the main site, there is also a microsite created just for younger audiences. It has less obscure navigation, less of an eerie feel, but still provides the trailer, downloads, an overview of the story and info on the cast and crew.
 
This is one of the more challenging pieces of creative to explain without going step by step. But without any reservation, I urge you to check it out for yourselves. From start to finish, "The Last Mimzy" site provides one of the most unique, compelling and engaging user experiences that I've seen for a while.
-- Corey Kronengold, director, corporate communications, Tremor Media, Inc.