nelly3

The previews for this film, frankly, had pretty much turned me off. I expected more over the top CGI effects with dreary dialog and a forgettable cast. Thank goodness my AC went out and I chose to seek refuge at the air conditioned cinema. The film's pace was quick and the story line tantalizing enough to hook me. The CGI effects were, of course, there in robust abundance, but - and this was what won my heart - they didn't steal the show from the human drama in the film. The characters are likable and even inspirational. No, these are not vastly deep characters a la Ingmar Bergman; they're more like the characters one used to find in the westerns by directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks. The heroes are archetypes, and the film takes on the qualities of a modern age myth. And to top it off, the film is a lot of fun, too. My hat's off to Guillermo del Toro.

I went to the film expecting to be disappointed. I knew nothing about the Burroughs story (except that the Frazetta artwork was much appreciated as an adolescent male), and the film trailers gave me the impression that it would be a couple of hours of glitzy special effects but with little substance to the story. Fortunately, a boring Sunday was motivation enough to go and end up being quite pleased by a story that was exciting, engaging and even at times endearing. For the first time in a good while, I left the theater wanting more (and the story line certainly leaves itself open for a sequel). The film has a good look and feel (somewhere I read where a reviewer aptly described it as steam-punk meets Star Wars), and the performances had me believing in the plight of the characters. That it won me over in spite of my initial skepticism and that it made me crave more pushed my rating to a 9. Don't get me wrong, this is not high art. But at least, in my opinion, this met its mark better than other similar films such as Avatar. (I never quite forgave the Avatar hero for abandoning his first flying reptile).