Intriguing Concept, Disappointing Screenplay
The premise of &#34;Inkheart&#34; is intriguing:  certain persons have a special gift -- when they read aloud, they bring characters of fiction into the real world.  The downside:  for every fictional character who comes into the real world, a real human being is taken into the fictional world.<br /><br /> Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser), a book buyer and restorer, has this ability, and is stalked by a mysterious figure as he and daughter Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett) browse through an open-air book market.  The stranger is Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), a fictional character Mo brought into the real world years earlier who longs to return to his family in the pages of &#34;Inkheart,&#34; a now rare, out-of-print book.  When Dustfinger appeared in our world, Mo's wife, Resa (Sienna Guillory), disappeared into the book's world.<br /><br /> The plot is essentially a quest in which assorted characters combine forces, meet others along the way, and dedicate themselves to a mutually beneficial goal.  Of course, as with all quests, this won't be easy.  There's a group of fictional folks, under the leadership of Capricorn (Andy Serkis), who've made a very nice life for themselves in the real world, taken up residence in a hillside castle, and have no intention of returning to their fictional world.<br /><br />Brendan Fraser seems to be the go-to guy for movie fantasies  (think &#34;The Mummy&#34; franchise and last summer's &#34;Journey to the Center of the Earth&#34;).  He has always seemed to me a grown-up with boy-like wonderment.  What he lacks in acting chops, he makes up for in earnestness, knowing that at any second this fantasy can degenerate into camp.<br /><br />This does actually happen with the character of Elinor Lordan (Helen Mirren), Mo's aunt, an eccentric, turban-wearing book collector who speaks her mind with little regard for others' feelings.  Initially, the character is used to move the plot along.  She disappears for a long time and reappears in the movie's final third, speeding up the mountainside on a motorbike and later riding a unicorn into a sanitized battle pitting the forces of good against evil.  It's difficult to accept the sophisticated Ms. Mirren as this exaggerated caricature.<br /><br />Bettany, who is best remembered as the imaginary friend of John Nash in &#34;A Beautiful Mind,&#34; conveys appropriate menace in the film's early scenes, but also a wistfulness -- even a sadness -- because of his entrapment in a world that's not his own.<br /><br />Bennett plays Meggie not as a starry-eyed innocent but as a mature, intelligent young woman.  Her Meggie is not just along for the ride.  She  participates in decision making, is in the midst of the action rather than on the sidelines, and exhibits many qualities of the movie heroine.  She helps shore up the proceedings with her down-to-earth, focused performance.<br /><br /> Even with the fantasy element, the movie limps along, predictable all the way.  We've seen cinema fantasies that are far more effective.  &#34;The Wizard of Oz&#34; still enchants viewers after all these years (there's an interesting homage to that classic in &#34;Inkheart,&#34; incidentally).  &#34;Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory&#34; was the movie without equal for a whole generation.  More recently, the &#34;Harry Potter&#34; movies have shown how a solid script, engaging characters, and state-of-the-art special effects can combine to produce genuinely thrilling fantasy adventures.<br /><br /> Rated PG, &#34;Inkheart&#34; builds to an anticipated climax, but loses dramatic steam before the final credits roll.
The movie title "Inkheart," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.6 from 3092 reviewers. 
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The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Science Fiction & Fantasy, Kids & Family, Action & Adventure", "Format": "Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Widescreen, Subtitled, NTSC", "Contributor": "Eliza Hope Bennett, Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Iain Softley, Paul BettanyEliza Hope Bennett, Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Iain Softley, Paul Bettany   See more", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified", "Runtime": "1 hour and 46 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "2.35:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)", "Product Dimensions": "7.75 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 0.01 Ounces", "Item model number": "NEWL1000044824DVD", "Director": "Iain Softley", "Media Format": "Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Widescreen, Subtitled, NTSC", "Run time": "1 hour and 46 minutes", "Release date": "June 23, 2009", "Actors": "Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis", "Subtitles": "English, Spanish", "Studio": "New Line", "Number of discs": "1"}

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