This film has a great cast, pretty good effects, and a well-meaning desire to avoid the unnecessary peril and shocks of so many children's films. But the story is such a mess that it made me, for one, miss the film-by-numbers text book approach to film making usually employed on a film of this budget.
The first 70 minutes (at least) is spent setting up a static situation - merely introducing four characters and the shop that they work at.
But don't hold your breath for the 'inciting incident', because when it finally arrives and the shop owner dies, (something, incidentally, that we don't care about because we have not seen him strive in difficult circumstances, make sacrifices for others or ... anything apart from go to work) the film is nearly over. It only remains for the ever-perky Natalie Portman to have the revelation that she must (of course) simply believe-in-herself-and-everything-will-be-wonderful, and the credits roll! But don't worry, you'll be pleased the credits do roll, because everyone in my family, from 3 to 40 was bored rigid throughout, and judging by the comments on the way out, so was everyone else in the audience.
I can only imagine that the executives persuaded themselves it would work because of it's similarity in theme and outcome to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But that story has a proper spine to draw us in - as Charlie's undeserving, spoilt rivals meet appropriately sticky endings. This film has nothing equivalent.
Spectacle on its own is not enough to charm an audience and emotional responses must be earned. Above all, good old fashioned story is vital .
The first 70 minutes (at least) is spent setting up a static situation - merely introducing four characters and the shop that they work at.
But don't hold your breath for the 'inciting incident', because when it finally arrives and the shop owner dies, (something, incidentally, that we don't care about because we have not seen him strive in difficult circumstances, make sacrifices for others or ... anything apart from go to work) the film is nearly over. It only remains for the ever-perky Natalie Portman to have the revelation that she must (of course) simply believe-in-herself-and-everything-will-be-wonderful, and the credits roll! But don't worry, you'll be pleased the credits do roll, because everyone in my family, from 3 to 40 was bored rigid throughout, and judging by the comments on the way out, so was everyone else in the audience.
I can only imagine that the executives persuaded themselves it would work because of it's similarity in theme and outcome to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But that story has a proper spine to draw us in - as Charlie's undeserving, spoilt rivals meet appropriately sticky endings. This film has nothing equivalent.
Spectacle on its own is not enough to charm an audience and emotional responses must be earned. Above all, good old fashioned story is vital .
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