This film is a must for any fan of Fantasy; it has a great cast, a good sense of humour, and - although it contains many of the usual ingredients found in any fantasy story - is quite original. A young man crosses the "wall" of the village"Wall" into another world and falls in love with a captured princess. He is presented with a surprise son 9 months later, who grows up to be a nice young man! He, in an attempt to woo the local high and mighty lady, vows to bring her a shooting star back from the land across the wall as a token of his love. Thus begins the adventure!
Key performances to watch for are De Niro as the Pirate Captain, Charlie Cox as Tristan (the hero) and Michelle Pfeiffer as Lamia. Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in Harry Potter) also plays a brilliant part as a transmogrified goat!
Not an absolute classic, this film potentially will be too long for the younger ones, but is great for older children and those parents who like to see fantasy films. ****
Do you thing that smacking is exceptable in todays world? I'm 26 and i was smacked as a child, and honestly believe that it didn't do me any harm. I have two children, a little girl 20 months old and a boy at 8 weeks, my little girl is at that trying age where she pushes me and pushes me but i can't come to smacking her, i find sending her to bed for 5 minutes works just fine for me. But i have no problem with other people who choose the smacking road, i believe that everyone is entitled to living their own lives however they choose and if they decide to smack their children then thats fine, to a certain extent, obviously.. i would love to hear other peoples views on this sensitive matter.
I was told by my daughter the other day that her friend said I was strict. This friend has tantrums galore, hates sharing and swears. I answered my daughter simply: parents who care about how they are bringing their children up are prepared to have the arguments and tears. They are prepared to smack (NOT beat) if necessary and will never back down on a point they are trying to prove. That is not strict - it is simply not LAZY - which a lot of parents sadly are.
This film is a waste of celluloid (or whatever they make them on). I will try to be constructive in my criticism, but it's very difficult! The idea is quite a good one, even if it has all been done before and you would have thought it would have been worthy of a viewing. Well, don't waste your dosh on this one - I've had better turkey for Christmas dinner! The dialogue is disastrous, the acting is amateurish and the running time is about 1 and a half hours too long. I must have said to myself "As IF!" at least a dozen times while watching this film, it was so unbelievable. So, if it doesn't get a Golden Raspberry, I'll be very surprised. If you feel you must watch this film now that I've got you intrigued, then wait for the DVD, rent it with at least ten mates so that you can share the cost out to minimise the damage to your wallet and get ready to laugh your socks off!!!
What Captivity lacks in innovation it makes up for in style. Say what you will about plot holes and struggling performances, but the film looks beautiful, sounds great, and the atmosphere of the film will stay with you. Elisha Cuthbert's character is shallow, but appropriately so, as a naive fashion model who, even while in the deepest pit of misfortune, doesn't quite grasp what's going on. She keeps close to her teddy bear, apologizes for no apparent reason, and cries single tears... never ceasing to look picture perfect. (This is one gripe I have with the film. The leading lady should show a little more wear and tear, in my opinion.) I understand that the writer of Captivity claims to have based the character on Paris Hilton, and while I don't entirely believe that that's what the film was aiming for, it's an interesting comparison. In light of Hilton's recent incarceration, it's also a bit of commentary, however unintentional, on our culture's fascination with celebrities, the desire to be close to them, and to possess a piece of them.
The looming, black gloved torturer is a smidge clich�, but it does the trick. It's a genre film, and certain symbols are to be expected and forgiven. Again, the set and sound design are spot-on, and that carries a lot of weaker areas through to the end.
The editing is very choppy, due in part to the fact that a large portion of the original movie was removed and replaced with new material shot long after the original version ended production. The result is a cut-and-paste appearance which actually works quite well, given all the time Cuthbert's character spends going in and out of consciousness. It's almost an art film effect, hypnotic and disorienting.
