Surprising, Amusing and Heartfelt

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2010)

This is by far one of my top 10 favourite movies of all time. I've loaned it/recommended it to many many friends and co-workers and everyone who has seen it loved it.
The story is clever and funny. It has a subtly to it in the way that it makes fun of certain "Hollywood-ish" moments.
The characters are absolutely brilliant. The villains are darkly likable. And the hero is nicely balanced against the obstacles he faces. Likewise the acting is simply superb. From simple characters we only get to see for a couple minutes to the lovely and talented Claire Danes.
Everyone is fantastically cast and it is all helped even more by the way the effects are blended into the story. Like Lord of the Rings the effects compliment the movie rather than make them the main attraction. That being said, they are very well done and help to pull you into this world of fantasy.
See this movie.