Let me start off by saying that I've never read the source material, and that I never had seen this before. That's right, this was not some film I have a nostalgic attachment to. As a result, I must say that while I can appreciate some of this, it didn't really win me over all that much.
I know it's a fantasy film,
but even then, it just seems a little silly, and kind of like the filmmakers automatically assumed you'd have an emotional investment from the start. A good example of this is the swamo scene with Artax. I don't have ice in my veins, but it was hard for me to care about things. It felt shallow and I wasn't really all that moved by what happens.
I like the fact that this is a film made when animatronics and puppetry were king, though. Practical just almost always seems better to me. The film does look good, and the direction is nice, but some of the performances are a little iffy for me, mostly because these aren't exactly the best child actors. They're not terrible though.
Hate me if you want, but I can't help it that this didn't win me over as being some kind of masterpiece. I'm glad I finally saw it, but it's just not really my thing.
June 9, 2006
