Reviews

Just saw this with my daughter who is 13. She has just recently seen all the John Hughes 80's movies (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, etc.) and said it felt just like one of them. I couldn't agree more - great direction and just a hint of a wacky feel to it. Realistic, fun and interesting *normal* parents that don't take the world too seriously and want to be there for their kid.

The only parts that didn't hold up was a couple of logistical things (like a girl that good looking not having any guys following her around, and having a best friend who is such a ditz). All in all though the plot stuck together, was edgy in a few ways, and thoroughly entertaining. I'd put it on the shelf right next to the John Hughes films, and that is a distinguished place indeed.

Sorry, just not funny. I realize that there were funny people in the movie - that's fine. But I expect more than I got.

I didn't care about George because there wasn't much to care about. If he'd done some more grand things when he knew he was dying then somehow continued on with them later, then that would be something. The only thing we had to make us want to see the rest of the film what what his friend's future was going to be.

Which in my opinion, wasn't really worth watching.

I kind of feel like my money got stolen on this one. If the movie's got funny people (comedians) in it, then fine. But I still expect a funny movie with a storyline, not just a bunch of one-liners.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this film up to the half-way mark. Right about the point that Roscuro is shunned by the princess. After that point everything fell apart. Despereaux becomes MIA for about 10-15 minutes of screen time, there's the a whole superfluous side-story with the farm chick.

None of the timing worked in the second half of the film - *none* of it. There are such huge lapses in time and space and completely disjointed events occurring that have nothing to do with one another. For example, when Despereaux rings a bell it makes the chef start to make soup again. Why? What's the connection? There isn't one.

Don't even get me started on the vegetable spirit. A completely pointless escapade that is tangential to any part of the rest of the story. It's as if someone said "what's the stupidest thing that could happen at this point?" and then they answered it.

If only they had made a great 2nd half to match the fantastic first half. Sigh. 5/10 is being generous.

The movie made me laugh (only about 4 times), but none of the jokes had anything to do with the story. Everything about the movie was flat and lifeless.

I followed it fine. I got the point of the story. I just didn't care, and the presentation was so bland I didn't want to after the first ten minutes.

Voice acting was terrible, and even unsynchronized in some places - you could see lips flapping and expression happening, but they subtly didn't go with the dialogue. The 'Ken' character especially was horrible in this regard. I mean, he was supposed to be annoying, but funny-annoying - not 'ugh. yes we get it please get him off the screen' kind of annoying.

Chris Rock was pretty much unused in this story, except for his voice. The other cameos (Sting, Ray Liotta, Larry King) again, just were not funny in any regard, and had no link to the story to make it at least seem like there was a point to including them.

2/10. If things like Cat in the Hat didn't exist, this would get a 1.

I saw this with my 2 daughters - 10 and 7, and it was for kids just their age. My older daughter's heart was pounding so hard in the middle that when she clutched my hand I could feel it on my upper arm. She came out of it emotionally exhausted, but very very happy.

The only film I can relate this to is "Contact". This film makes no assumptions about your political, religious, or spiritual beliefs, but presents something for everyone. The story is enjoyable (although a tiny bit long for the age group), and the premise is something that the children can understand and get into. The acting was par for a children's film - not as bad as Tim Allen in "Shaggy Dog", but still not on the level of an adult's film. Some adults may frown during the performances - but it has nothing to do with the story.

The ending was drawn out and predictable - I kept telling my daughter that it was going to be 'ok', and knew it would be. But the ride was very fun and enthralling - a movie my daughter will ask me to get for her and she will watch over and over again.

This was surprisingly bad.

I saw "Hero" - loved it. Bought the DVD. I saw "House of flying daggers" - loved it. Bought the DVD.

Saw this. Want my money *and* my time back.

My wife and I spent the entire way home from the theater talking about new words to describe how bad it was. 'Vomitrocious' was her best one.

OK, first and most importantly, the story sucked. There's not one bit of it you really care about. I mean, if the director was trying to make an Altman type film where they do every little detail of what actually happened and tried to put it all in your face for you to examine, then fine. Yes, maybe they did things that way. I still don't care unless there's a story there. I didn't go to this movie (after seeing Hero and House), wanting to see a historical documentary.

The only redeeming quality of the film was that it kept you awake with the odd epic-type music coming in and out at random, and with the jarring tie-die colors splashed here and there. And at the end of it all - who are you supposed to feel for? The Emperor? The Empress? The denied lovers? The Prince? You don't care for anyone - but yourself.

You'll wish you'd never seen it. The piece falls flat. I figured "ok, we'll get to the interesting part soon now". And it almost - almost - got better. But then, as the gratuitous violence took over (overwhelmingly), the film just became excrementally worse. Things just happen for no reason - people's loyalties are done in broad strokes, and the violence (excuse me, the *pointless* violence) was overwhelming.

It's very hard to make a movie that entertains, nay I say panders, to the more carnal urges - fear, thrill, and adrenaline rush. This movie is a ton of fun to experience, and it's because of -bear with me now- the story. Yes, the story.

There's many ways to tell a story. I'm not talking about the duologue, the plot, the characters, or even the setting. I'm talking about the situation and the roles involved in it.

Yes, the snakes are the villains in this, and yes the heroes do the heroic things (as we expect them to in a good story). It's the *experience* of the situation and the immersion you can get into with the over-the-top-ness of it. You've seen these roles before. You've seen this situation before. When I watched this movie it had serious rumblings of 'Aliens' and other movies like it. Even 'Kill Bill' came to mind with the situation of the passengers and the odds they face. What makes it unique and fun to experience is the details of how it's told, the familiarity, and the slight twists and nuances of seeing 'what if' the road twisted in this way or that way.

Bottom line, it kept me guessing the whole way through because I knew the filmmakers felt the freedom to do anything they wanted to do. To pretty much any character, and in pretty much any way. You don't see that kind of freedom in a lot of thriller movies any more. When was the last time you were genuinely skeptical of whether Harrison Ford's character was going to make it? You're not - because you know the safety zone that the movie is playing in.

This movie has no safety zone. That doesn't mean that there is no line it doesn't cross. This just means that the filmmakers just said "what would be cool to have happen in this situation?" Somebody gave an answer, and *nobody* said "Oh, we can't do that." 9 out of 10. Worth my $$.

Awful. Cringeworthy. I want my 2 hours back.

Probably one of the most wooden scripts I've ever seen shot. How could someone green-light this? The acting was horrible. The sets were horrible. The comedy was nonexistent. The plot was stupid. I watched the whole movie with my 6 year old and neither of us laughed once. I mean, come on. Even the "Cat in the Hat" got the *parents* to laugh once and the kids to laugh a few times. I swear that Tim Allen had no idea what was going on on screen and was test reading the script when he read his lines.

My daughter kept asking me if we could leave. "Is it over yet? Can we go now?"

If you're looking for something to take your kids to, take them to the playground instead of this. Even if you're there for 10 minutes, it'll be more fun than watching this piece of junk.

I expected a recycled version of some kids adventure I'd never seen before. Something along the lines of Masterpiece Theatre or Dr. Who kind of "wonder". Wow, was I surprised.

The acting in the film is very very good, from Mr. Tumnus to Lucy to the White Witch. They were able to instill the right feeling of wonder at the right places, as well as at other times indignation, anger, and great sorrow.

The animals in the film were the best seamless blend of, well, animals and other types of characters. I truly believed the gryphons could exist as they did in the film, as well as the cheetahs. There were some 'CG' moments, and the appearance of a rather well-known folk figure was the longest stretch. But even then the role that was there and how it was presented was masterfully done. Not leaning too hard either way.

The educated, serious film watcher will complain and nitpick about silly details (army tactics, inexperienced swordsmen against masters), but relent that the story is the main thing, and it is very very good.

Very much looking forward to more in the series, if they can keep up with the masterful screen writing.

Plodding and predictable from the first scene to the last, the target audience (kids age 5-8) will probably watch this two times. Three tops. That's absolutely nothing compared to a movie with an interesting story or characters you care about - who have goals that are meaningful and connections to each other that are built on something real.

The protagonist, Oscar, wants to be a big shot. Money, fame, recognition galore. The main thing is, we as the audience are given the reason for him wanting this *after* he's already embarked on the mission, and the reason just isn't that compelling. It's not something that the average joe is going to identify with.

The *star* talent is just wasted. I'm actually glad to see a computer-generated big-budget film flop like I think this one is going to. It's a quick reminder that story is the key.

This film just doesn't have it.