MrPopo wrote:As a counterpoint, I read a review by John Scalzi who loved every minute of it (with the original novel being much beloved by him).
It really needs another hour to develop the characters sufficiently. (The emotional stakes at the film’s climax lack heft.) Then, however, it would be way too long for a children’s movie, and it is definitely a children’s movie. (It reminded me of Labyrinth, but with fewer muppets and a less compelling villain.)
Also, the movie should have adhered a little more closely to the book’s depiction of Camazotz and The It. (That sequence starts out pretty great, but it end up fizzling.)
My children aren’t exactly the harshest critics - and my daughter, like me, loves the book - and even they were underwhelmed. I really wanted to like it, and I think it took some good liberties with the source material. Ultimately, however, it just end up being a middling adaptation. (That said, it is frequently a visually stunning film, and I am certain many of its images will stick with me.)
