Inkheart

Fictional license can be a very fun thing. Based on a Cornelia Funke novel, this movie intertwines characters and events from some very famous stories. From Hook's ticking croc to Dorothy's Toto, you should find at something familiar in this movie.

Brendan Fraser plays a "Silvertongue" who brings story characters and events to life when he reads the words aloud. Something goes wrong early in the story and he spends the rest of the movie trying to set things right. As usual the main character needs help from several friends.

In this case the friends come in the form of Eliza Bennett who plays his equally gifted daughter and Paul Bettany who plays one of the story characters. Both do a wonderful job of character evolution and winning the audience over.

Helen Mirren and Rafi Gavron are also essential supporting characters as sister-in-law and story character respectively. Because this story is so rich with characters you have your choice of which to like and which to boo. There is someone here for all ages and all genders.

This is for sure a family movie but mind the PG rating. Some of the conjured-up characters might be a little too scary for the younger crowd especially considering how they are brought to life. We don't want to prevent anyone from reading aloud or wanting to be read to for fear of what might or might not happen.

Watch this movie on a dark and stormy night to enhance the ambiance.