Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2007)

Even considering the risk of being accused of plagiarism I cannot help but think that the summary I mentioned is perhaps the best thing to be said about this movie. I can not blame the side that chooses to discredit the film, nor the other one. I find that, in order to appreciate this film you need to have the kind of spirit that still believes in fairy tales, as long as they aren't exaggerated and do not give you the exact feeling that they are what they're supposed to be... not real. The movie, if compared to masterpieces of the fantasy genre does not excel through anything. However it provides a well cooked recipe of different stereotypical fantasy elements as well as a handful of original ones, while not wearing out the prior. It manages to stop things exactly when you believe they are going to become corny, provides laughs in the most unexpected of situations, and makes you leave the cinema with a warm feeling in your heart. At least that's the kind of impression left on most of the people I've talked to after they saw the movie. The acting isn't excellent (except for Robert De Niro's portrayal of a fairly gay captain :)) ), however it delivers as it should, and doesn't end up being lackluster in certain areas. The fighting scenes, although rare are very entertaining and fun to watch, especially the concept of a corpse being controlled via a voodoo doll. However I will stop the foolish analysis of all the separate elements of the film because the quality lies in the sum of its parts, not in the individuality of them. All in all, the first impression that the film left on me was that of a pleasant surprise, when I realized that decent adaptations of fantasy books can still be made. If you enjoy fairy tales that end with a happily ever after, without exaggerating it, then this is the movie for you. If you fall in the other category, you might still enjoy the film as a general experience.