(no subject)

[zwol]

The Legend of Despereaux capsule review: it's not good when you start picking holes in the plot as soon as you leave the theater and continue doing so for the next 20 minutes or so, over tea and muffins. In this case I suspect the book is a lot better — most of the problems seemed like they could have been filled in if there had been more time for character development and lead-up to the key moments.

Also, stars a really irritating narrative voice beating you over the head with the moral of each and every scene.

Comments

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The book may be a lot better--I haven't seen the movie, so I can't say--but that doesn't mean the book is anything like good.

Because that irritating narrative voice? Was not introduced for the movie.

[zwol.livejournal.com]

I rather suspected as much. It seems to be a thing that is done in fiction aimed at children of a particular age. I think nobody needs to be beaten over the head with the moral, no matter how old they are, especially not on a scene-by-scene basis! but it doesn't surprise me.

The way I think the book might be better is in having more time to develop the plot. The movie seemed to have taken a rambling, discursive storyline and hacked out everything but the highlights, leaving most characters' motivations obscure and the secondary plot threads sorta hanging there and not pulling their weight.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

The preview looked mildly promising, but with all the lousy reviews I'm seeing, maybe I'd be better off picking up the book from the library and seeing if I like it better that way. It's certainly cheaper than paying for movie tickets, at that.

[zwol.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that might be a good move. It is very nicely animated, though, so it might be worth watching just for the visuals (maybe wait for the DVD though, then)

[weinberg.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

The tea and muffins sound like the best part of the movie. The book, which I have read a long time ago, is OK but not great - in general, it's trying a bit too hard to be Mrs. Frisby. I don't remember it being moralistic though.

[zwol.livejournal.com]

but ... but ... it can't be Mrs. Frisby! We already have a Mrs. Frisby!

[weinberg.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Zack, sometimes when I am bored or miss you, I reread your weblog, and every time I read this post, I think, "I want a muffin." I decided to say this, and then realized that the LAST time I commented on this post, I also commented on the muffins.
Sigh.

[zwol.livejournal.com]

This reminds me that I was supposed to tell you how to get to Shweta's IRC writer group discussion channel, where (as it happens) virtual muffins can be had.

Details in email.