Overrated pretentious Hollywood Nothingness!

Rating: 1/10 (3 July 2013)

Let me start this review by saying I have enjoyed many of Ang Lee's films in the past. Let me also say that I am an animal lover. And as an animal lover I am appalled that this movie got made.
Now I am fully aware that a significant portion of the animal scenes were cg. Nonetheless, the extent of distress that the animals suffered in the actual scenes that were used on top of a blue screen amounted to nothing less than gross levels of animal cruelty and so typical of a person completely indifferent of modern day animal issues.
For that Ang Lee should be ashamed of himself.
Bottom line, I can't say strong enough that this is NOT a story that should have been put on film!!!
I say that for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the start of the film was culturally inaccurate. The mere suggestion that an Indian boy could freely and happily explore Hinduism, Islam and Christianity is nothing short of ludicrous and extends way beyond the scope of being able to 'suspend disbelief'. As for the cg, again, I felt is was ordinary at best and certainly not worth all the Oscar buzz it achieved.
Don't get me wrong, I got the bigger message. I just don't think the vehicle for it was suitable for film and I don't think it can be even mentioned in the same sentence as films like Avatar. I have not read the book and I'm sure it was a great book, but it should have stayed a best selling novel.
As for the film; it is used toilet paper and for his complicity in gross acts of animal cruelty, I hope Ang Lee never works again.