Secondhand Lions proved to be a generally enjoyable and diverting film. The way the older characters recounted their past experiences to the boy evoked thoughts of Peter Falk’s performance in The Neverending Story; it seems there's a limited number of approaches when an elderly person shares tales of adventure with a younger individual. Certain aspects of the plot felt somewhat foreseeable, though enough unexpected details emerged to maintain my engagement. I believe seeing it was time well spent. It was noted as something of a stepping stone for Haley Joel Osmont, who had previously appeared in The Sixth Sense and Pay It Forward, paving his way toward more grown-up parts. The comic strips created by the boy when he was an adult brought to mind Walt Kelly’s Pogo, especially given that one of the characters also bears the name Walt. However, this may simply have been my own impression, as I understand the fictional strips were actually drawn by Berke Breathed, a talented cartoonist who drew inspiration from a Doonesbury comic rather than Pogo.

Source on TMDB