Tuesday 8 February 2011

Gullivers Travels - film review

Gullivers Travels
Film Review
Feb 2011

We had a request from Tilly to go and see Gullivers Travels whilst visiting her in Derbyshire, and why not?



I read Gullivers Travels as a teenager and kind of enjoyed it, but on reflection I missed the satire which is an essential part of Jonathan Swift's 1726 original.

But its not just the satire that's missing from this film, its large swathes of part one and all of parts two, three and four. Put simply, its relationship to the original text is tenuous at best. But then, this is a kids film starring Jack Black of School of Rock fame, and what's more its in 3D so I guess we shouldn't expect anything more than the lightest nod towards the original.

Jack Black cavorts his way through the film, inserting more dimension than the 3D specs. In fact this is the first 3D film I have seen outside Disney and I was left  bit underwhelmed. Maybe I expected too much of this amazing new technology, but whilst it added a certain something it failed to live up to its promise.

As for the film? It was as two dimensional are the graphics were three. Jack Black is Jack Black in the same way that Hugh Grant is always a British toff. He bounced around but kept returning to his trademark rock act.

The book may contain a depth which has resulted in it being in print for nearly 300 years but there is no way this film will go down as anything more than short lived lightweight froth.

Its been out a month and will probably soon disappear from cinemas - and you won't have missed anything.

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