Inkheart (2008)

3.5 stars

My main qualm about Inkheart when it was first released (the book, not the film) was that although it was a children's book, the wording was a little dense at times. However, the magical tale comes to life on the big screen, proving stories really do sometimes Newcomer Eliza Bennett shines in her role as the headstrong Meggie, who is puzzled by her father's odd behaviour, whilst old favourites play their parts with enthusiam - in particular, Helen Mirren provides laughs-a-plenty as grumpy Elinor. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Brendan Fraser, who ill fits his role as Mo Folchart in this adaption of Corenlia Funke's novel about a man who can read objects and charactres out of books. Okay, the plot may not seem terribly appealing on paper, but kids will lap this charming fantasy yarn. The special effects are incredible, providing a trove of mythical creatures - a unicorn and the Minotaur, to name a few - for Capricon's kingdom, and adding volume to the spectacularly powerful finale. Having said that, fans of Funke's bestseller will be left reeling by the drastic plot changes (especially towards the end, paving an uneven path towards the sequel) and the depiction of the villains as comic characters, whilst non fans will struggle to follow the immensely complex plot.