So many good reviews... Why?

Rating: 5/10 (13 December 2005)

I don't know guys... I'm reading a lot of these positive reviews, and I think its neat you liked the books and were entertained but when you take a step back and just examine the film on it's own merits, it really is just mediocre. I don't mean to be an elitist either, I went into the movie wanting to like it. I was just stunned by the standard looking CGI, unimaginative lighting and visual theme, wooden acting and general feeling of "Is this thing almost over?". It also, unfortunately, had to conform to the trappings of what is considered a "family" movie. That runs the risk of causing unintentional laughs. The filmmakers had a choice: 1. A smaller, quirkier film focusing on the more magical and charming elements to the story 2. A big bloated "epic" (even though that word is reserved exclusively now for films of LOTR caliber)with an unneeded battle scene and very little in the way of character development.
Given all the positive reviews and the box office returns, they made the right choice for the consumers.