A little over hyped!

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2011)

Preliminary reviews suggested that this was a masterpiece but upon seeing the movie I found it fell short of that lofty appraisal. The story is very good but the movie runs too long and has stretches of boredom, especially when trying to develop subsidiary characters. The movie picks up every time Ben Kingsley appears but Asa Buttererfield disappoints in the lead role as I found that I was watching him act rather than being caught up in his character. Chloe Grace Moretz and Emily Mortimer are very good in their roles but Sacha Baron Cohen is over the top in a uneven performance. I am not a fan of 3D and this movie could have done without it, although I must admit there are some incredibly wondrous 3D effects but there are also a number of scenes where the 3D is a distraction.
I would suggest that this is not a "kids" movie but one for those at least 10 and over. This is not a classic movie but still rates (in my opinion) a 7 out 10.