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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Life of Pi Review.

Thoughts: Despite Life of Pi's critical acclaim, I was still skeptical because the trailer was unimpressive and I was expecting an entirely different type of film. To my surprise, Life of Pi was a fun, adventure fantasy film, and one of the better films I have seen from 2012. For those, like myself, that have not read the book, the trailer kind of looks ridiculous and did not make me want to see the film, however I gave it a shot and enjoyed the movie quite a bit.


Directed by: Ang Lee
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy,
Release Date: November 21, 2012
Running Time: 127 minutes
MMPA rating: PG


The Good: Stunning visuals, Surprisingly humorous, Fun adventure, Realistic computer generated animals,

The Bad: Slow start,



Plot Summary: The first 30 minutes is a standard biography of how Pi's childhood up until when he is stranded on a boat with a tiger named Richard Parker. Watch the new see what happens next.


Plot: 8.1/10- The film is narrated at some points by Pi being asked about his experience by an author and at a few points it cuts back to him telling the story and that narrative was actually used effective to progress the story, unlike another recent film that shall not be named. Even though it was probably in the book, some of the first 30 minutes felt a little unnecessary to the main plot. There is a part that is between five to ten minutes that could have been cut. However those scenes mostly served a propose, but I still felt as if it could have been streamlined to have better pacing. After that beginning, the film turned into a surprisingly fun adventure and the pacing problem was fixed. I expected the movie to focus on his spiritual journey and I was pleasantly surprised that it was more about the actual journey than anything else, although Pi's character did progress well.
*Minor Spoiler* The film takes a shockingly dark turn near the end, which can be off putting to some viewers, however I was mostly indifference about it. *End Spoiler*

Action: 5.2/10- There is a spectacular ship sinking scene, which is done very well and some of the animals fought each other briefly. It is more of a high seas survival movie than an action film.

Acting: 7.2/10- Suraj Sharma, as sixteen year old Pi, receives the most screen of the different actors who played throughout his life, and he does a great job in his role, even if he did not have a lot of dialogue. The other actors were all good, but the tiger, Richard Parker, is the real star of the film.

Special effects: 9.5/10- While many of the effects are obviously computer generated, it is actually works due to the stylized nature of the film. The visuals are the best part of the movie and, from I have read, the 3D was spectacular. Despite the overall visuals being well made, the tiger and other animals are the best element of the special effects. For the most part, the tiger was believable, except when it was wet, which made it look obviously computer generated.


Soundtrack: 7.7/10- Mychael Danna's score compliments well and sets the tone that film tries to achieve.


Comedy: 7.8/10- After the opening joke about Pi's full name, which was very funny, most of the humor comes from the situational humor about Pi trying to cohabitate with the tiger.

Would I Watch This Again: Probably, although it will be a long time before I am interested enough to watch it again.

Overall: 7.9/10- Overall, Life of Pi surprised me. It was a fun adventure movie that managed to balance the spectacular visuals with the story, which is rare for "Eye Candy" films such of this.

Closing comments: While not quite as profound as some may say, Life of Pi is a fun adventure with a unique story and stunning visuals.

Recommended for: Fantasy fans, Adventure fans,


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16 comments:

  1. I was also amazed at the special effects for the animals were so realistic, and while the final thoughts may not be everyone's taste ("So it is w/God"), on the whole it was visually splendid.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed, the effects where amazing and they actually aided the story.

      -James

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  2. I actually wanted to see the movie because of the trailer! Lol. I still haven't seen this one but I really want to because of the tiger!!!! :) I'm glad you ended up liking it. Good review! :)

    ~Jamie

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    1. While I did not find the trailer bad, my thought it was stupid and really didn't want to see, but he surprisingly enjoyed it. I am mostly sure that you will at least enjoy this! :)

      -James

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  3. I loved this movie a lot! Eye Candy films that are also family-friendly and delightful are very enjoyable for me to watch. This movie reminded me of The Wizard of Oz, for some reason...the special effects were so incredible, too. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it too :)

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    Replies
    1. Glad we agree! I can see the similarities with Wizard of Oz too after you mention it, although I was not a fan of Wizard of Oz.

      -James

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  4. I was slightly surprised by this film when it came out. The visuals were much more impressive on the big screen in 3D. As for the film, I really do think it depends on where you are coming from in terms of the emotional impact, there is a lot to chew on throughout especially in the end.

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    1. Me too, it was a lot better than what I expected it to be. I can imagine, those look great on an HD TV with a Blu-ray but something like IMAX or anything 3D it must have been amazing. For me, there was not a lot of emotional impact, however I did find it to be a fun film to watch.

      -James

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  5. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! :) I haven't seen it yet, but I want to at some point(I loved the song they played in one of the trailers). And, the visuals do look stunning. :)

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    1. This is something that I believe you would enjoy. :)

      -James

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  6. I admit it looked great but overall it did not come close to living up to the hype.

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    1. I can completely see that, my brother did not like the movie that much either.

      -James

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  7. I have read the book, but not seen the film yet. It looks as if basically everything except dreaming of a girlfriend, if thats what it is , is source material, which makes it good.

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    Replies
    1. From what I have read, most of fans of the book seem to be pleased with this, so you might want to give it a watch since you apparently enjoyed the book.

      -James

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  8. Good review, I enjoyed this one too. I also had a bit of a fever when I saw it, which complemented the surrealism very interestingly!

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  9. Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I remember being very fascinated by this movie, not just by the effects, but also by the touching story. But well... yeah, the emotional impact really depends on your own views.

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