I Actually Want To See It In 3D!!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2013)

All right people, I'm going to say it loud and clear right now. I thought this movie was awesome. Now, this is a film that talks about religion and I am an atheist. In this film, Pi has adopted all religions and treats them equally. However, many prats on IMDb have perceived this thought provocation as religious propaganda and have evaluated the film just based solely on that single thing. I say to all other reviewers out there, review this film as a whole. Look beyond the religious messages and look at it as a film. Now let's get this underway.
The Good: The cast. Since there is really only three actors to really focus on here who played main characters, let's look at them. Young Pi, played by Suraj Sharma, is one of the best teenage actors ever, in my opinion. His acting is top notch throughout this film, from the time they move from India right up to his discovery on the beaches of Mexico. He has certainly got a big jump early in his career. He plays his character well and that's good enough for me. Irffan Khan, who was also in Slumdog Millionaire, is also very likable as Old Pi. His eyes are filled with wisdom and he treats everyone as equals. His narration throughout the story is nice and calm and adds a lot. And Rafe Spall is pretty damn good as Yann Martel, the writer of the book. As well as this, there's also a small cameo from Gerard Depardieu as the cook.
The story. This story is mind blowing. A true testament to cinema. Ang Lee took all the elements of the book and seemed to evolve them somewhat. As well as this, everyone likes a good story of survival, especially when it has a teenage boy and a tiger having to share a lifeboat together. It also takes an interview style, so the narrative from the books is also included. This is a really amazing adaptation.
The CGI, special effects and visuals. I'm not going to lie, this is the best CG I have ever seen from any film. Ang Lee just knows how to make interesting visuals and with that said this film has some of the most beautiful visuals in the history of cinema. Lord of the Rings geographic shots? Nope, this beats it. The Fifth Element's future New York? Beaten. That is how good the visuals were. The sea, the night sky and dawn all look amazing. This is in fact one of those films where I wish I saw it in 3D! The CGI Tiger. Richard Parker (Yeah, that's the tiger's name) is the best CGI creature ever created. There are shots of real tigers in the beginning of the film and to be honest, there really wasn't much of a difference between the CG and the real thing. As well as this, the tiger is a really good character and this is because he doesn't talk. This isn't Sher Khan from the Jungle Book, no; this is a true adult Bengal tiger with razor sharp teeth. And this is important because the relationship between the boy and the tiger is the driving point of the film. There were several interesting parts where Pi tried different techniques to get on the boat but finally realises he needs to teach the tiger respect in order to be accepted. These were unpredictable moments as the animal is unpredictable. Richard Parker is now probably one of my all-time favourite animal characters.
The thought provoking moments. This is a story where Pi says that it will "make you believe in God." I thought to myself "bring it on" but as it progressed I saw the angle Lee was going for. And arguably, it is the film's greatest strength. Lee wanted the audience to go out questioning the different concepts of religion. For example, does one have to stick to one religion or can they choose multiple ones? I went out and thought to myself, "I actually don't know." The film doesn't give you the answer, unlike many other movies, but instead allows you to think for yourself, as an individual, as to what you think is right. And that is really awesome when a movie can have that effect on someone.
The Bad:  I actually can't think of anything bad to say.
Final Verdict: 10/10 Instant Classic. This is a testament to adapted movies and film in general. This is truly a great film, probably the best of 2012 (But I still have Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and Lincoln to see, so bear that in mind). Great acting, great story, great visuals and leaves you with more questions than answers. Oh, and Richard Parker is awesome. I want a t-shirt of his face now! Instant Classic.