Big Fish in Little Pond: Capra did it better

Rating: Null/10 (14 January 2004)

While always a fan of Tim Burton, I must admit that my admittedly high expectations were not met here. Even the attention to visuals, from set decoration, to special effects were off the mark for what we have come to expect from Burton. When one is fishing in such over fished waters, it is necessary to offer novelty, not for its own sake, but to advance the story. About 15 minutes into the film, I suddenly found myself thinking OF "It's A Wondeful Life". And on that most obvious level of being a "big fish in a small pond", I really liked the Baileys much more than the Blooms. Capra's people are connected to their environment by passion and living, while Burton's characters are too often about style and inference. But that's why there are matinees...