I didn’t completely get it the first time around, but on a partial rewatch I liked it and thought it had some pretty powerful themes about death. I also want to point out that the tree wasn’t CGI… There were only a few parts of the film where computers were used for more than composting.

The whole space travel thing, for example was created using layered macrophotography of chemical and biological reactions. I’m sure most people would find it boring, but I thought the making of was really incredibly interesting.

So yeah, pretty effects might be a lame reason to like it compared to oh, plot or character… (which I did actually also like) but that alone makes me really respect the film.