Sorry, I didn't get back here yesterday to post this, I had a bit of catching up to do around here after two kids' birthdays and a day in the Big D!
But here I am ready to talk some INKHEART with you all!
First of all, I absolutely LOVED this movie. I will buy it when it comes out on DVD, and I will watch ALL of the bonus features because I want more! I will also be buying a copy of the book, because I'm intrigued. I know that a 2 hour movie can never cover all the details given in an entire book, so I am looking forward to reading the book and experiencing even more of this story!
I will caution parents, however, on one small thing. The bad guys in this movie are SCARY. Most of them are just ugly, and have poor personal hygiene, like these guys.
But "The Shadow", seen here,
is a terrifying sight on the Big Screen! When he first appeared, my first thought was that I wouldn't be taking my 8 year old daughter to see this on the Big Screen. I'm still debating on the 11 year old. He's kind of funny about what scares him and what doesn't. I know however, that both of them will be fine seeing it on our television set. It's just on the giant screen that I think it would be a bit overwhelming for any child under 10, and possibly for those even older. You know your own children best, so you know what they can handle and what they can't.
The story itself was fantasy magic for me! I love fantasy books that are filled with magic and mystery and things that could never possibly happen except in a book, and this movie was full of just that.
Mo Folchart is a "silver tongue", or someone who is able, by reading a story aloud, to bring characters from that story into our world. The problem is, when a character from a story is brought into our world, sometimes someone from our world is taken into the story. This is apparently what happened to Mo's wife, and how he discovered that he had this unique ability in the first place.
So we find Mo, whose occupation is that of a "book doctor"--someone who repairs old and damaged books, searching for a copy of the book he was reading when his wife disappeared. He has a daughter who seemingly knows nothing of what happened to her mother, nor her father's unique gift, but is constantly asking questions about it. During this time, we also find out that Meggie, Mo's daughter, not only loves reading books, but also enjoys writing stories of her own...mainly about her mother, and what may have happened to her. Obviously, this is discouraged by her father who knows the power of the written word, and he warns her about making up these stories.
That is the background we are given, and then we are flung headlong into the story. I must admit that each time I thought I knew where the story was going, there was a delightful twist that kept me guessing and excited to find out what would happen next! I love it when that happens...too often I "figure out" a story and then spend the rest of my time waiting for it to happen rather than anticipating what might happen. That was so NOT the case with this movie!
I can't necessarily say that there was a clear-cut moral to the story, but there were several lessons to take away from it. Obviously, the power of the written word was first and foremost. Through the story of "Dustfinger" (played by one of my favorite actors, Paul Bettany) we learn that everyone has a choice in the decisions they make in life as well as what type of person they become. I also took away from the characters of Elinor and Meggie, that each of us has a gift, and those gifts can be used to help others in times of need. I would expand on that, but I'd have to give away too much of the story, and my friend, Todd specifically asked me NOT to give away the story in this review!
I personally found nothing offensive in the movie, and I do plan to take my 13 year old and most likely my 11 year old to see it on one of our "Mommy and Me" dates. When trying to think of another movie to compare it to when deciding what age child should see it, my very first thought was of Eragon and The Lion The Witch, and The Wardrobe. If you and your children enjoyed both of these fantasy-type movies, (and weren't too scared by some of the "darker" characters in them) I think you will also enjoy Inkheart.
If anyone has seen the movie, please feel free to leave your review/opinion in the comments!
So a HUGE THANK YOU to YouCast for sending me to see this movie! And if you have any others you want to send me to, I'll be here!
