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Great stuff, but too short!
by Gigi (movies profile)
Feb 17, 2008
(WARNING: May contain spoilers)
This was the first movie of 2008 to qualify for addition to my permanent DVD collection (once it gets released on such). As picky as I am about fantasy flicks, that's saying something.
The movie itself is based on a series of children's books by Holly Black, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. Although the books themselves are intended for a very young audience, the movie is anything but! I would not recommend this film for anyone under 12 or so. Some of the intense action scenes are likely to be frightening for younger kids.
Normally, I'm suspicious of movies based on books. One need only look at disasters such as "Eragon" and "The Golden Compass" for shining examples of what NOT to do when adapting a book to the screen. However, in this case, the screenwriters truly pulled a rabbit out of their collective hat.
The visual effects are positively stunning. The griffin (or gryphon, if you prefer) was magnificently done, though the critter did bear a striking resemblance to the hippogriff 'Buckbeak' from the 'Harry Potter' movies. I have to wonder if it was the same production crew that created the one for 'Spiderwick.'
One of the most memorable scenes came when the griffin, with passengers, was diving straight at an apparently-solid cliff face -- only to burst through it as if it were nothing more than mist, and go on a wild aerobatic jaunt through a series of ice-lined channels. Gorgeous stuff! The flight posture, wing positions, everything... perfect! Whoever animated that beastie has made some close observations of eagles and other raptors.
If I have any complaints about this movie, it's that it was too short! The entire cast did a grand job of bringing their characters to life, but I felt like we didn't see enough of the 'magic' side of the world the movie was trying to create. I have to wonder what would have happened if the characters had been allowed to develop still further.
No matter what the professional critics say, this is a fun flick for anyone 12 and up. If you fit that window, and you like fantasy, go see it. You won't regret it. |
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