Birthday Wonderland is a film with remarkable talent behind it. Director Keiichi Hara's previous film, Miss Hokusai, won film awards internationally, but he's also well-known for directing Colourful, a dark tale of teen problems, and some of the most critically acclaimed Shin-chan movies. Unfortunately, it's hard to see that reputation in this film, which is a straightforward children's adventure story for the most part. This wouldn't be a bad thing if it weren't so protracted and lacking in narrative tension that I lost my patience while watching.