[img]7|left|||no_popup[/img]What devoted reader hasn’t, at one time or another, blurred the distinction between the literal and the metaphorical? Who hasn’t formed such a strong partnership with an author that it becomes possible to see, with startling clarity, richly painted vistas and characters that exuberantly soar off the page? That’s the wonderful, bibliophilic premise of Cornelia Funke’s “Inkworld” trilogy of books, the first of which, “Inkheart” introduces the concept of silvertongues, readers with the ability to literally bring books to life. Aside from plot and character, there’s a whole metaphysical world of questions to tickle the mind, such as whether books represent parallel universes or whether a book’s plot can be changed by extracting the character out of the book and into our world. It’s all very meta, to be sure, and we’re given a film adapting a novel about novels that have their own kind of reality within other novels.

As I understand it – my wife read the book; I’ve only started – the movie diverges from its source in a number of ways while preserving Funke’s core ideas. But the movie must stand on its own, and though the film adaptation of “Inkheart” thrills with visuals, adventure, and superb casting, it also lacks the animating force that gives a story its heart. Director Iain Softley drops us, after the briefest prologue, into a plot already thick with intrigue and menace: along with his daughter Meggie (Hope Bennett), bookbinder Mo (Fraser) is on the hunt for a rare novel called Inkheart. We soon learn that he’s not just looking for a dusty curio to fill his library shelf, but for the novel from which he accidentally brought characters to life with unfortunate consequences. The adventure moves forward at a fast clip, with Mo struggling to deal with an unreliable ally – the dubiously heroic Dustfinger (Bettany) – and confronting the villainous Capricorn (Serkis), who is filled with the ambition to do what all villains want to do, namely – say it with me – take over the world.

Brendan Fraser, who reportedly was Funke’s model for Mo when writing the book, is broodier in this outing than in his role as Rick O’Connell in the “Mummy” films. Still likeable, of course. Fraser is the model of likeability. But while the easy-going charm is comfortably there, the twinkle in Fraser’s eye is dimmed by the perpetual scowling-face worry that seems to be Mo’s main mood. He doesn’t get much support from Eliza Hope Bennett, who is fine but generic as the teenaged heroine piecing together the story behind Inkheart and her father’s gift. Andy Serkis gets full leave to smirk and snarl and chew up the landscaping a bit. Capricorn is your garden-variety megalomaniac, but the story wisely keeps him in the dominant position for much of the film, leaving our heroes perpetually unbalanced in a game of catch-up. Also worth a smile or three is Helen Mirren in the role of a strong-willed, eccentric aunt with a love of books and a raging bonfire of bravado beneath the stern, matronly exterior.

When all is accounted for, however – the cast, the special effects, the relentless to-and-fro of the story – what remains is, alas, not very much. “Inkheart” is the proverbial hat without cattle, a plot without meaningful characters to engage with. What we have are roles – hero, heroine, villain – rather than personalities, with only Paul Bettany’s talent getting a workout as the only character, the fascinating flame-juggling Dustfinger, with a measure of psychological momentum and inner conflict to propel him through the movie.

I can only imagine that the plot was distilled from Funke’s novel with all the character stuff left behind in its pages. Which is a shame, because with the lattice work of plot and character roles in place, all that’s missing to make the movie more than whiz-bang eye candy are personalities that leap off the page and into our imaginations.

Entertainment Value: * (out of two)

Technical Quality: * (out of two)

Inkheart. Directed by Iain Softley. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on the novel by Cornelia Funke. Starring Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Eliza Hope Bennet, Helen Mirren, and Andy Serkis. 105 minutes. Rated PG (for fantasy adventure action, scary moments and brief language).

Frédérik invites you to discuss "Inkheart" and more at his blog.