About a year ago, I put up a books and their movie adaptations post. Since it seems that I’ve been seeing quite a few movies (mostly intentionally) lately that have been based on books, I thought it would be fun to post my thoughts on them on occasional Fridays. I have to add that I’m a horrid movie reviewer — I generally like everything to some extent — but I can compare them to the books, which I’m pretty good at. The links are to my review of the book.

Inkheart: I have to say, first, that I like anything Brendan Fraser’s been in (that I’ve seen). Some I like more than others, but generally, I find him imminently watchable. That said, I really liked Inkheart. It’s different than the book, but in a way that makes it a good movie.

They kept the basic elements of the story (from what I remember; it’s been a while since I read the book, and that could have affected the way I saw the movie), but fleshed it out and changed it in a way to make it a decent movie. (Unlike the Harry Potter movies, which are generally scenes from the book splashed on the screen.) They contained the story to a single movie — there’s no need for sequels, like the book — and moved elements around so that it kept up a fairly brisk pace. And, as I think Jen Robinson noted, it truly is a middle grade movie: it is Meggie, more than Mo, who drives the plot and comes up with a brilliant solution to the crisis they are all in. I thought it was well cast: Andy Sirkis was perfect as Capricorn, as was (surprisingly) Brendan Fraser as Mo, and Eliza Hope Bennett as Meggie, and Paul Bettany as Dustfinger. But the show stealer was Helen Mirren as Elinor. She was brilliant. She was perfect. I loved her.

One more note: I took M to see the movie, and after finishing it, she wanted to read Inkspell (she had no desire to before that, even though she’s read Inkheart). That’s got to say something.

Verdict: Not as good as the book, but pretty darn close.