Inkheart (2008)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

From my favorite movies..

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen! Definitely one of my favorite!

If you have read the book, Inkheart, your in for a disappointment. If you haven't read the book, you will still be in a very depressed state. The filming is sub-par, the story an insult to the original work, and the acting is painful, very painful. The story that the movie presents is hard to follow at times, and throws in backstories from every other side character. Some of the effects are interesting, but most of them are crap. It's a festival of uninteresting scenes, filled with bland dialogue and unimaginative chemistry between the characters. All in all this film is a depressing example of a terrible adaptation from novel to film, its bad all around.

'Inkheart' initially gave me the impression of being just another fantasy film. However, once the premise is presented, it becomes interesting. The concept is intriguing but the plot is repetitive. Although it's not done to the point of ruining the movie, had the pacing been well maintained, this would have had potential of being a wonderful film experience. Much of the script and its execution is quite generic. The story is also lacking in depth due to convenient plot-conclusions and there are plot holes. The ending is rushed. Many of the characters and plot turns are poorly developed. For example, I would have liked to know what had actually happened to Resa and how she had ended up there. The special effects and cinematography are passable but I enjoyed the vibrant colours. The acting is pretty good overall. Brendan Fraser and Paul Bettany are good enough. Eliza Bennett is impressive. Sienna Guillory is very effective in a small role. Andy Serkis is fairly adequate. Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent provide brilliant comic relief. Even though the film hasn't reached its potential, given the novel and intriguing concept, it manages to still be a decent entertainer for the entire family.

I really really enjoyed this movie. I'm very picky when choosing what movie to watch. Frankly, I only knew a little about this movie at first but was compelled to watch it for an odd reason. Also, I didn't hear the best reviews about this movie from surrounding people. The acting was well-played by all the cast members. It's definitely a fantasy but not a childish one at all. It keeps you guessing in the beginning. I tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together before it's all revealed and I found it amusing whether I was wrong or right. Brendan Fraser was a good in acting as he usually is, but I found the fictional book characters such as Paul Bettany and even Rafi Gavron displayed great acting skills that made the book characters so believable. I did not read the book, so I have nothing to compared this movie to. Still, if you want something exciting, then watch this movie.