Inkheart (C- or 1.5/4 stars)
Mo (Brendan Fraser) has the special talent to bring characters OUT of books; simply by reading about them. One night he brings out 3 characters from Inkheart a story set in medieval times & chock-full of magical beings. Capricorn (Andy Serkis), a villain, & Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), a good-natured fire-eater are 2 of the characters drawn out. Now, 10 yrs. later, it's up to Mo & his daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett) to escape Capricorn's wrath, and retrieve her mother (who has long been trapped inside Inkheart's bindings). I was not bowled over by 2007's Stardust, but this film, 'Inkheart', directed by Iain Softley, makes that film look infinitely better, to me. The actors are fine. But the story is mechanical, the execution is dull, & the 'magic' component did nothing for me.
All the protagonists are likeable enough. But for this film, we follow Meggie more closely. Together with her father, they travel all over Europe for used bookstores, searching for a rare copy of Inkheart. Mo knows exactly why he needs it; Meggie is still unsure. The reason, of course, is to get back her mom, Resa (Sienna Guillory, resembling Sienna Miller). Mo is a 'silvertongue' - a special person who, by reading out aloud, can make a story come to life. One problem: when character(s) from the book transport into real life, there must be an exchange, & someone from real life has to enter the book's realm! This is what happened to Resa 10 yrs. ago. 2 of the people Mo had transported into reality were the evil Capricorn & the homesick Dustfinger.
As fate would have it, they track down Mo. Capricorn needs Mo to read for him (because his own 'silvertongue' stutters; thus drawing out incomplete characters). Capricorn wants power & world domination (don't all villains?). Dustfinger, on the other hand, is desperate to return to his realm to be with his bride (real life wife, Jennifer Connelly, in a blink-your-eye-&-miss-her cameo). Desperate to find the book, Meggie & Mo drop by the mansion of her cooky, book-loving Great Aunt Elinor (Helen Mirren). The 3 of them, joined by Dustfinger & a thief from the book, Arabian Nights, set-off to seek the author of Inkheart, Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent). With his help, they may be able to destroy Capricorn, retrieve Meggie's mom, & grant him his own personal wish.
'Inkheart' offers an intriguing premise. Its setting (the Italian Riviera) & production designs are great. And the acting is solid enough for a film of this ilk. Brendan Fraser could do a role like this in his sleep (that's not necessarily a bad thing). Helen Mirren has a little fun in a Mrs. Havisham-lite role. Jim Broadbent impresses as the author who is awe-struck of his own creations. Andy Serkis chews the scenery as Capricorn. Eliza Bennett is a fresh-faced newcomer. And my absolute favorite character portrayal is Paul Bettany's Dustfinger. He's the ONLY character I was able to connect with or truly care about. And so ... while interesting premises, pretty settings, & decent acting won't hurt your opinion of a film, in this case, it did nothing to help it, either.
Nothing flowed well in this movie. The beginning felt awkward & rushed. When we see the magical beings start to pop-up, it is fun for a few seconds. But then the story arc turns to our heroes trying to find & rescue Resa. A huge chunk of this 'search' is incredibly static & boring. I saw minotaurs, unicorns, flying monkeys ... yet they're basically in this movie to just show themselves off. They don't contribute (or have any purpose) to the plot whatsoever. Another thing: I thought this film might include Mo sending himself & his troops to faraway book lands; dangerous adventures; saving people along the way ... instead, almost the entire movie stays stationary in Capricorn's gloomy castle. Speaking of Capricorn, there's nothing unique, scary, or humorous about his malice. He's just a stock villain.
Worst of all, while there is a climax in 'Inkheart', the way it ends is a big cheat. There's no consistency in the rules of this plot; they change to suit the circumstance of the moment. I won't divulge specifics, but something Meggie & Foniglio do while she stands on a podium is ludicrous, plot negating, unsatisfying, expediently dealt with, & shrug-worthy; done soley for the purpose of having the movie end at all. This is not a film for adults (at least Stardust aimed for several demographics, even City of Ember had more originality). If the film's intent is to get young kids to pick up a book and start reading, then it fails to convey the magical power that literature offers; it gives little life to that promising idea. I'm just shocked by how childish, slow, & numbing this film wound up being.
All the protagonists are likeable enough. But for this film, we follow Meggie more closely. Together with her father, they travel all over Europe for used bookstores, searching for a rare copy of Inkheart. Mo knows exactly why he needs it; Meggie is still unsure. The reason, of course, is to get back her mom, Resa (Sienna Guillory, resembling Sienna Miller). Mo is a 'silvertongue' - a special person who, by reading out aloud, can make a story come to life. One problem: when character(s) from the book transport into real life, there must be an exchange, & someone from real life has to enter the book's realm! This is what happened to Resa 10 yrs. ago. 2 of the people Mo had transported into reality were the evil Capricorn & the homesick Dustfinger.
As fate would have it, they track down Mo. Capricorn needs Mo to read for him (because his own 'silvertongue' stutters; thus drawing out incomplete characters). Capricorn wants power & world domination (don't all villains?). Dustfinger, on the other hand, is desperate to return to his realm to be with his bride (real life wife, Jennifer Connelly, in a blink-your-eye-&-miss-her cameo). Desperate to find the book, Meggie & Mo drop by the mansion of her cooky, book-loving Great Aunt Elinor (Helen Mirren). The 3 of them, joined by Dustfinger & a thief from the book, Arabian Nights, set-off to seek the author of Inkheart, Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent). With his help, they may be able to destroy Capricorn, retrieve Meggie's mom, & grant him his own personal wish.
'Inkheart' offers an intriguing premise. Its setting (the Italian Riviera) & production designs are great. And the acting is solid enough for a film of this ilk. Brendan Fraser could do a role like this in his sleep (that's not necessarily a bad thing). Helen Mirren has a little fun in a Mrs. Havisham-lite role. Jim Broadbent impresses as the author who is awe-struck of his own creations. Andy Serkis chews the scenery as Capricorn. Eliza Bennett is a fresh-faced newcomer. And my absolute favorite character portrayal is Paul Bettany's Dustfinger. He's the ONLY character I was able to connect with or truly care about. And so ... while interesting premises, pretty settings, & decent acting won't hurt your opinion of a film, in this case, it did nothing to help it, either.
Nothing flowed well in this movie. The beginning felt awkward & rushed. When we see the magical beings start to pop-up, it is fun for a few seconds. But then the story arc turns to our heroes trying to find & rescue Resa. A huge chunk of this 'search' is incredibly static & boring. I saw minotaurs, unicorns, flying monkeys ... yet they're basically in this movie to just show themselves off. They don't contribute (or have any purpose) to the plot whatsoever. Another thing: I thought this film might include Mo sending himself & his troops to faraway book lands; dangerous adventures; saving people along the way ... instead, almost the entire movie stays stationary in Capricorn's gloomy castle. Speaking of Capricorn, there's nothing unique, scary, or humorous about his malice. He's just a stock villain.
Worst of all, while there is a climax in 'Inkheart', the way it ends is a big cheat. There's no consistency in the rules of this plot; they change to suit the circumstance of the moment. I won't divulge specifics, but something Meggie & Foniglio do while she stands on a podium is ludicrous, plot negating, unsatisfying, expediently dealt with, & shrug-worthy; done soley for the purpose of having the movie end at all. This is not a film for adults (at least Stardust aimed for several demographics, even City of Ember had more originality). If the film's intent is to get young kids to pick up a book and start reading, then it fails to convey the magical power that literature offers; it gives little life to that promising idea. I'm just shocked by how childish, slow, & numbing this film wound up being.