A Hit and Some Misses

Rating: 1/10 (8 November 2004)

My 7-year-old son and I were excited to see this film, having read and enjoyed the book many times.
While we were both moved by the parts that were supposed to be moving, thrilled by the parts that were supposed to be thrilling, and awed by the parts that were supposed to be awesome, in the end, it missed the mark for me.
I had a hard time getting past how strange and un-real the kids looked and moved. Their eyes were too big, which wasn't cute, it was just ... disturbing. And please, that whiny kid with the glasses... Maybe the director needs to LEARN that flat-out annoying characters are, well, flat-out annoying.
On the other hand, the best bit in the film is the lost-ticket sequence, which brings to life my favorite illustration in the book, the two-page spread of the wolves watching the train pass in the distance. What a great choice to take one of the quietest moments in the book and use it to kick off some of the biggest thrills of the film.
I'm sure it'll be a huge hit, but I doubt that I'll want to buy the DVD...
Maybe we'll just read the book again.