Moving and visually stunning

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2014)

Moving and visually amazing drama from Tim Burton. Burton is renowned for his quirky comedies but here he manages to mix that with raw emotion. A family relationship drama mixed with fairy tales (or are they?).
As you would expect from Tim Burton, the special effects are amazing. Throw in a good soundtrack (by Danny Elfman, of course) and you have a well-crafted, visually appealing, often light-hearted yet emotional movie.
Good performances by a host of stars: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Billy Cradup, Helena Bonham Carter, Marion Cotillard, Robert Guillaume, Danny DeVito, Alison Lohman and Steve Buscemi. Also includes a 10-year old Miley Cyrus in her first cinema movie role (though I am not sure this is anything for the movie to be proud of...).
Only negative is that the ending lacks punch. Having set up the intrigue with the interesting tales and snippets of the father's life, the conclusion is not that profound and feels a bit predictable. It's as if Burton focused most of his attention on the first and second Acts and relaxed on the third.