book was better

Rating: 6/10 (2 September 2007)

i loved the book, and i wish the movie had been more true to the book.
i thought claire danes and nathaniel parker did fine as the leads. unlike some other posters, i liked the chemistry between them. and sienna miller and henry cavill nailed the shallow arrogance of victoria and humphrey.
i guess my main disappointment is that the movie came out as a light-horror film, something like pirates of the caribbean. then of course, maybe the 20 minutes on the pirate ship vs 15 seconds on the succession to the throne might have contributed to my impression. the horror sequences with the princes and witches seemed to go on forever. and the uplifting themes, like the willingness of the hero and the star to sacrifice for the other were de-emphasized. so i'm guessing it's the editing that feels wrong.
the tone of the book was noble and romantic, focusing on heroism, personal growth and true love. the movie felt more like indiana jones light.