A well told story of an imaginative novel by Cornelia Funke.Strongly cast, it runs perhaps twenty minutes long at an hour and three quarters, but never outstays its welcome. Funke creates a magical world where books come alive, characters literally leap off the page, and the major characters have to do all they can to make sure normality, and justice, are restored.
Paul Bethany as Dustfinger steals the film as the heroic/tragic character lifted out of the pages of "Inkheart" into the "real world". Apparently author Funke insisted on Brendan Fraser as "Silvertongue", the man who can make books come alive by narrating them.Perversely, he is the weak link, giving a strangely insipid performance alongside Bethany, Broadbent as Finolglio the author of "Inkheart", and Helen Mirren playing a wonderful cameo as Aunt Elinor in a part which could have used more screen time.
Eliza Bennett is a convincing child lead as Meggie, Silvertongue's daughter, and the cast of baddies looks as though it has been stolen from the cast of "Pirates of the Caribbean" extras!Interesting, and erudite, the film falls just short of classic status, mainly due to Fraser.Nonetheless,it remains a strong story, well told and will appeal to children of all ages, as well as adults who are young at heart.
Paul Bethany as Dustfinger steals the film as the heroic/tragic character lifted out of the pages of "Inkheart" into the "real world". Apparently author Funke insisted on Brendan Fraser as "Silvertongue", the man who can make books come alive by narrating them.Perversely, he is the weak link, giving a strangely insipid performance alongside Bethany, Broadbent as Finolglio the author of "Inkheart", and Helen Mirren playing a wonderful cameo as Aunt Elinor in a part which could have used more screen time.
Eliza Bennett is a convincing child lead as Meggie, Silvertongue's daughter, and the cast of baddies looks as though it has been stolen from the cast of "Pirates of the Caribbean" extras!Interesting, and erudite, the film falls just short of classic status, mainly due to Fraser.Nonetheless,it remains a strong story, well told and will appeal to children of all ages, as well as adults who are young at heart.