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Directed by: Gabor Csupo Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick Took my daughter to see this movie, and since I hadn't ever read the book was expecting a Chronicles of Narnia type movie thanks to the misleading movie previews. This movie isn't a fantasy so much as it explores the imagination of children and how they use their imagination to find a temporary escape from crappy situations at home and school. One of the best things about watching this movie is that it really reminded me what it was like to be a kid. Life was simple but there were always buzz kills, including bullies at school or getting in trouble with the parents. The movie is upbeat and happy until out of nowhere the kids lives are changed forever (I won't spoil how), and you can really feel the reactions of the characters as they deal with the pain in their lives. I have to admit I teared up a little bit while watching this movie. Despite the misleading marketing and the dramatic shift towards the end of the movie, the whole family really liked it. I wouldn't recommend taking really young kids, but my 9 year old was able to handle it. She started reading her copy of the book as soon as we got home. RATING: 4 PROS: Great story, Not your typical family crap CONS: Misleading marketing, too mature for really young ones ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://imdb.com/title/tt0398808/
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Feb 22, 2007 13:50
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A truly wonderful movie in every way. A great adaptation of the book that doesn't puss out and give us a Hollywood ending.
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Mar 1, 2007 01:18
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I haven't read the book but from what I hear it is very true to the story. Great acting by the kids, if a little "over-acted" at times. Real tearjerker. 4/5 just because I came in expecting a Narnia clone when it most definitely is nothing of the sort. If you are seeing the movie on the basis of the trailers alone, prepare for disappointment.
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Mar 1, 2007 20:38
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This was a very well done movie, highly enjoyable. The story and acting was great, and made me tear up at times too.
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Mar 11, 2007 07:24
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This was the best kids movie I've ever seen. I was dragged out to see it, but by the end of it I was enthralled!
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Mar 15, 2007 20:03
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4/5 I'm amazed this is a Disney movie. No punches were pulled from the book. It's a movie about kids facing real problems as kids. It's very close and faithful. The characters are very like-able, and even Jess's little sister was believable. I've never seen a child that young with so many speaking lines. And this is a 10+ aged story, probably the ideal would be the 12 year old range. This isn't something you plop a six year old in front of unless you plan on explaining real life problems they aren't ready for yet. The only bad thing about the movie is the fantasy scenes. They seem to detract from the actual story. They're important to the theme of the movie, but in many places they're overdone, overlong, and have rather horrible effects.
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Nov 9, 2007 14:14
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I really liked this movie. When I saw it at blockbuster, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was in the mood for something light hearted, so I decided to pick this movie up. It seemed to capture childhood imagination wonderfully and made me feel like a jaded rear end in a top hat of an adult. This movie had likeable characters, explained real life problems well. It was a nice ride, but it had me sobbing like a little girl during the end and I don't cry easily. So much for a light hearted movie. Still, very good and if I ever have kids I'll make sure they watch this. Traumatizing children early on, hurrah! 4.5/5
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Nov 14, 2007 01:25
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Just saw this on encore for the first time, knowing about the plot twist at the end and having a good idea of what to expect from word of mouth I was surprised how much I really enjoyed this film. I typically HATE child actors as they're usually terrible but good performances by everyone involved, would've liked it better if it didn't have the twist but then it wouldn't've been as "real" as it was. 5/5 Pros: Pretty much everything Cons: Terrible Disney music in the Building a treehouse montage. An now that I think of it in the painting a room montage as well. EDIT: Just realized it was a year between the last post and mine, that's kinda neat.
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Nov 14, 2008 12:28
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I realize this movie came out quite awhile ago, but it's still worth a comment anyway. This movie is exactly what a book to movie adaptation ought to be. I read the book after seeing this and was surprised how much is left to the imagination. For example, the scene with the bully on the bus is about a paragraph if I recall correctly, but it is wisely expanded in the film. They didn't take the shortcut of filming the book, they properly adapted it to screen. Rating: 5/5, excellent for what it is.
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Nov 15, 2008 07:36
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Finally got round to watching this movie today, and wow... what an emotional rollercoaster! I agree with what was previously said about the bad marketing. I went into it expecting another fake Narnia clone but was blown away by how deep and original this was. The main character suffers from problems at home that I'm sure we have all felt at times: the odd one out, unnoticed and unloved. This real dose of reality was in my opinion what made the movie so engrossing. I recommend this to everyone! You can't judge a book by it's cover and you can't judge a movie by it's trailer. This movie is only 1% fantasy magic world so don't let the dvd cover put you off. 5/5 for the superb story that hits the root of our forgotten childhood. This was the first time I've ever I've cried at a movie... and it's rated PG.
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Nov 21, 2008 14:52
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If you are not weeping by the end of this movie, you are an inhuman monster. I was not expected the event that took place about halfway through the film, and it hit me like a sack full of hammers. Also, I was surprised to see competent child acting in a Disney movie. Watch this movie with a box of tissues nearby. 5/5
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Nov 23, 2008 04:32
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As someone who didn't read the story as a kid, I was promised Narnia-like adventures for my kids. What they got instead was a lesson in dealing with very difficult childhood trauma, which isn't necessarily something I'd call "Fun Times" for the family. Rating based on the movie I was promised: 1/5
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Nov 23, 2008 21:02
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I was very pleased with this movie, it captured the story I read as a child and put it into a film that did what I expected. I especially liked what they added to the story in the movie version and that from what I remember it stayed true to the book, a rarity in todays book to movie renditions. Bravo Disney, not bad considering the terrible poo poo you put your name on nowadays. I was not aware of any of the marketing for this as a "Narnia Clone" thus I base my review solely on the quality of the story adaptation and actor quality. 4/5
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Dec 3, 2008 13:47
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Great movie. A must see but be prepared for the waterworks. Pros: Zooey Deschanel Cons: Like mentioned earlier the fantasy scenes are a bit cheesy. But I bet the kids like that. 5/5
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Dec 12, 2008 06:41
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