Typical Ron Howard flick, yet totally watchable

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2006)

Let me preface this by saying I have not read the book - I have far too much real literature to read first.
Overall, the movie was worth the $6 admission price. Granted, it was a typical Ron Howard film (everything works out in the end), but overall not too shabby. It looked nice at times, but there were instances when I asked myself "what is that shot doing in there?" There were times when I snickered at the delivery of lines, but nothing like the reports from Cannes. The actors did an adequate job. Ian McKellan was absolutely wonderful as always, and his scenes were by far the best of the whole film.
However, it did feel like the whole thing was a bit thrown together. It's hard to put my finger on it, but the narrative flow of the film, the fact that it often felt very linear despite the many 'plot twists,' and the fact that it never really had the mystery of a thriller, left me wondering "what is all the fuss about?" This could be a screenplay problem, or a directing problem - I suspect it's a combination of both.
Go see it if you're at all curious about this movie - it was worth the 2.5 hours and the price. The PG-13 rating might bring a lot of teenagers to the theater (as happened to me), but you'll probably get over it.