After the recent boom in fantasy adventure films, this one looked to be just another in a string of genre films. Thankfully, it’s a surprisingly entertaining fantasy film.

Writing: Like basically every other film ever made in the genre, this one is based on a series of books (seriously, are these movies every just written as a script first?). It has the requisite fantasy creatures, the alternate fantasty world, the family dynamics playing against the fantasy elements. In other words, your standard pieces to the puzzle. Yet thanks to some experienced screenwriting by the likes of Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles, it really works well.

Production: This is a state-of-the-art, fantastic production. Under the steady direction of Mark Waters (a director who can make most anything work well), this complicated production works brilliantly. This movie is filled with very complicated visual effects, utilizing many methods for interacting with live action filming. Creature design is equally genre-standard and inventive, as is the animation of said creatures. Cinematography is lush, ambitious and gorgeous. Set design is equally beautiful. You name it, it’s got it.

Cast: Freddie Highmore gets the highest praise here. He continues to impress, having had a number of high profile, excellent performances. He’s definitely one of the most talented child actors in the industry. For this movie, he gets special praise. He does something that’s not entirely easy for anyone, playing multiple roles. He plays a pair of twin brothers, who are pretty much only alike in looks. He does a perfect job at making the two feel like very distinct characters. In fact, I barely gave it any though while watching the movie, which is definitely an accomplishment. It is two very distinct performances. Mary-Louise Parker does a nice job as the mother who’s in over her head. Sarah Bolger does a pretty good job as the sister, who is into fencing (conveniently). Joan Plowright is a nice bit of casting as the aged great-aunt. And the excellent David Strathairn makes the eponymous role work easily. In terms of creature casting, Nick Nolte is a great choice for the main baddie. Seth Rogen is an amusing piece of casting for a fun, friendly creature. And Martin Short is a bleeding obvious bit of casting for the goofy, small and loyal creature friend.

Music: While this may not be James Horner’s greatest score, or particularly groundbreaking in any way, it’s still a great Horner adventure score. He’s got a talent for this kind of material, and his lush orchestration is a perfect match for the story and production. Definitely a nice addition to the production. Having slowed down a bit in recent years, it’s nice to have a fun, grand score in the more traditional style of Horner’s abilities.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 11:42 pm and is filed under Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.