Once upon a time, many moons ago, author Cornelia Funke wrote her beloved best-selling book Inkheart with actor Brendan Fraser in mind. Funke pictured the character Mo with Fraser's face and voice.
Almost six years later, the film version of the book arrives in theaters bearing Fraser's marquee name. While Funke was definitely right in being inspired by the actor, the book deserved a far better adaptation worthy of its rich material.
"Inkheart" is a fantasy adventure that tells the story of a father and his daughter and their quests through worlds both real and imagined. Fraser stars as Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his 12-year old daughter, Meggie, is played by newcomer Eliza Hope Bennett.
Mo and Meggie not only share a passion for books, they also share an extraordinary gift for bringing literary characters to life when they read aloud. They're known as "Silvertongues." One night, while Meggie was still a much smaller girl, Mo accidentally banished his wife, Resa (Sienna Guillory), while reading a fantasy book conveniently called Inkheart. He also mistakenly summoned some of the novel's characters such as the homesick fire juggler Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), the evil Capricorn (Andy Serkis), and his knife-wielding confederate, Basta (Jamie Foreman).
Bettany, who stole the show from Tom Hanks in "The DaVinci Code" by playing a deranged monk is quite memorable in "Inkheart." His fire juggling character is presented like a rock star down to his funky outfit. Viewers will be able to identify with Dustfinger's motivation his yearning to go home.
Serkis, on the other hand, who was so great as the man behind Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, failed to create terror and suspense as the film's villain. A movie about the eternal battle between good and evil must have a strong, well-written villain to succeed.
And don't even get me started on Helen Mirren who plays Meggie's aunt Elinor Loredan. The fantastic actress who brought me to my knees with "The Queen" followed up her triumphant success with lukewarm films such as "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" and now, "Inkheart." But the film is not without commendable merits. First, I strongly admire "Inkheart's" message. Like the book, the movie's theme is the magic of reading. I also like Fraser's loving chemistry with Bennett.
I still believe Fraser is a good actor (watch "Gods and Monsters" if you doubt me) in search of a good movie. But his soothing yet commanding voice is perfect for the role of a man who brings fictional characters to life just by reading aloud.
Inkheart, the book, is the first of three novels but scriptwriter David Lindsay-Abaire revealed some plot points that were not introduced until the second one. But the fans of the series will enjoy seeing their favorite characters come alive on the big screen.
Directed by Iain Softley ("The Wings of the Dove," "The Skeleton Key"), "Inkheart" is missing one important ingredient magic. But there are some clever concoctions especially when Toto from "The Wizard of Oz" comes alive or when we see the sight of Dorothy's flying house complete with a twister.
But the most important effect the movie had on me? It made me think of which literary character I want to see bring back to life. My heart says Tinkerbell so she can fly me to faraway places. Now that's an exciting adventure.
And for that, "Inkheart" gets 2 ½ not quite magical kisses To see my full one-on-one interviews with the cast, log on to www.mannythemovieguy.com
Almost six years later, the film version of the book arrives in theaters bearing Fraser's marquee name. While Funke was definitely right in being inspired by the actor, the book deserved a far better adaptation worthy of its rich material.
"Inkheart" is a fantasy adventure that tells the story of a father and his daughter and their quests through worlds both real and imagined. Fraser stars as Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his 12-year old daughter, Meggie, is played by newcomer Eliza Hope Bennett.
Mo and Meggie not only share a passion for books, they also share an extraordinary gift for bringing literary characters to life when they read aloud. They're known as "Silvertongues." One night, while Meggie was still a much smaller girl, Mo accidentally banished his wife, Resa (Sienna Guillory), while reading a fantasy book conveniently called Inkheart. He also mistakenly summoned some of the novel's characters such as the homesick fire juggler Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), the evil Capricorn (Andy Serkis), and his knife-wielding confederate, Basta (Jamie Foreman).
Bettany, who stole the show from Tom Hanks in "The DaVinci Code" by playing a deranged monk is quite memorable in "Inkheart." His fire juggling character is presented like a rock star down to his funky outfit. Viewers will be able to identify with Dustfinger's motivation his yearning to go home.
Serkis, on the other hand, who was so great as the man behind Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, failed to create terror and suspense as the film's villain. A movie about the eternal battle between good and evil must have a strong, well-written villain to succeed.
And don't even get me started on Helen Mirren who plays Meggie's aunt Elinor Loredan. The fantastic actress who brought me to my knees with "The Queen" followed up her triumphant success with lukewarm films such as "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" and now, "Inkheart." But the film is not without commendable merits. First, I strongly admire "Inkheart's" message. Like the book, the movie's theme is the magic of reading. I also like Fraser's loving chemistry with Bennett.
I still believe Fraser is a good actor (watch "Gods and Monsters" if you doubt me) in search of a good movie. But his soothing yet commanding voice is perfect for the role of a man who brings fictional characters to life just by reading aloud.
Inkheart, the book, is the first of three novels but scriptwriter David Lindsay-Abaire revealed some plot points that were not introduced until the second one. But the fans of the series will enjoy seeing their favorite characters come alive on the big screen.
Directed by Iain Softley ("The Wings of the Dove," "The Skeleton Key"), "Inkheart" is missing one important ingredient magic. But there are some clever concoctions especially when Toto from "The Wizard of Oz" comes alive or when we see the sight of Dorothy's flying house complete with a twister.
But the most important effect the movie had on me? It made me think of which literary character I want to see bring back to life. My heart says Tinkerbell so she can fly me to faraway places. Now that's an exciting adventure.
And for that, "Inkheart" gets 2 ½ not quite magical kisses To see my full one-on-one interviews with the cast, log on to www.mannythemovieguy.com