Reviews

We took our two daughters to see this a few days ago. Overall, the acting and characters were great. I loved Emily Blunt's "Mary," which was more in touch with the book. I felt that the plot was a mishmash of too many elements. There was a very heavy social- political agenda which was annoying to me.The songs were pleasant but not memorable. Some of the animated fantasy scenes were fun, while others for me were much too noisy, chaotic and very, very disconnected from the storyline. Some of the animated characters were frightening to my six year old, who started crying that she wanted to leave. The ending however, was sweet and victorious, and the short visits from Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury really made the whole movie. I don't think I would buy the DVD though, and I'm not sure I'd watch it again.

The themes in this film are filthy, visual gore from start to finish. This is not merely a violent film. There is no respite. It gets more and more anguishing, just when you think that would not be possible. The mental cruelty and demented acts of the principle character are made worse by perverted religious themes. The setting was dismal, and instead of entertaining, it was a struggle to endure, and I'm not an overly sensitive viewer. It sticks to you after you watch it, as others have suggested.

I wanted to enjoy this film. The setting was beautiful, but the contrast between the joyful exuberance of youth and bracing reality of adulthood was stark. I believe this was what the director was working to achieve. It was one of those films in which it feels just too real, including the surreal moments. That being the case, watching was painful, and I don't feel afterward that there were sufficient merits to outweigh that pain.