Better than expected; tightly written story keeps the adults interested too

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2008)

I went into this film not knowing what exactly to expect. Trailer made it look like a fairy-tale kind of film, like Princess Bride. Reviews were excellent, so I gave it a try, viewing it with the wife and kids. Everyone was attentive the whole time, and enjoyed it. A nice mix of humor, fantasy action, and fairy-tale kid quality. It has its scary moments, but any kid that can handle Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter can handle this. It was uplifting, and had mildly scary stuff too to keep it interesting. The whole story was tightly written and very interesting, without being confusing and without being too basic and straightforward. Of course a big thumbs up for having been narrated by Ian McKlellan; like having Gandalf telling the story. A thumbs up to the beautiful super-long hair they gave the witch who took on a young form for most of the film. Much better than the ghastly appearances they witches usually had. This story was so tightly and perfectly written that I can't find anyone deserving of my trademark punch in the face comment that I reserve for a character who does something deviantly evil or stupid, so I'll refrain this time. Overall, a nice family film with enough to keep the adults interested as well.
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