Wow, what a surprise that movie was. Best fantasy film I've seen in ages--in its way, it equals or even exceeds Pan's Labyrinth.
The story itself is as old as stories, like many of the best ones, but the way the characters are staged is fascinating and not at all traditionally cinematic. There are three major protagonists (played by Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, and, a revelation, Eliza Bennett), two minor (another promising youngster, Rafi Gavron, and the incomparable Helen Mirren clearly having the time of her life), and two tertiary (Jim Broadbent in crazed crotchety mode and Sienna Guillory doing fantastic physically expressive work). All of them have their own arcs, and all of them approach the same set of problems in different ways that grow out of their personalities, backgrounds, and skill sets. The complex, but never confusing, plot is well served by a beautiful setting (the Alps around Lake Geneva and points north, looked like), a judicious use of special effects, and a deft directorial hand.
Of course, a movie that loves books is easy for me to love. Also, there's an awesome minotaur. Parents will be interested to know that we were in a theater full of kids, and it was a quiet theater, because from toddler to tween, they were all leaning forward in their seats, rapt.
Now, an aside to Brendan Fraser haters, a club the existence of which baffles me. Yes, this is the guy who made Encino Man and George of the Jungle. But he's also the guy who made Traffic and Gods & Monsters. Y'all ever heard of Peter O'Toole or Michael Caine? He's a working actor, and even when the material ain't that great, he still works it, because that's his craft and his calling. As it happens, the material of Inkheart is great.