If there was ever a movie that was built around the idea that "the pen is mightier than the sword", it's Inkheart. Based on a series of novels by Cornelia Funke, it follows the intriguing premise of the real world and the literature world colliding. Some may find it overly chaotic, and in a way it is. The plot is loopy, sometimes seems to be making up the rules as it goes along, and doesn't quite exploit the possibilities of its premise as much as it should. But I also can't deny that I enjoyed the performances, and the movie's sense of wonder kept me engaged.

It's been said that when the author was originally writing the stories, she had Brendan Fraser in mind as the lead hero, so it's probably fitting that he plays Mo Folchart here. As the film opens, Mo and his preteen daughter, Meggie (Eliza Bennett), have been traveling the world searching for a rare and out of print piece of fiction called Inkheart. They've been searching antique book stores the world over, though Meggie has never quite understood why her father is so obsessed with finding it. She gets her answer when they are confronted by a mysterious man named Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) during their travels. Dustfinger just so happens to be a character in the book they're searching for. He's been trapped in our world for the past 10 years, and wants Mo to send him back into the book where he belongs. Mo, you see, is a "Silvertongue". He possesses the unique ability to draw characters from the books he reads out loud into our world. There's a drawback to this gift, however. Every time a character from the book enters our world, someone from our world has to enter the other world of the book.

That's how this all began. Years ago when Mo was reading Inkheart, he released some of the characters, but managed to lose his wife and Meggie's mother when she disappeared into the book. Dustfinger is not the only inhabitant of the book who is now living amongst us. The story's central villain, Capricorn (Andy Serkis), crossed over as well, and has no plans to return to his rightful world. He's been hunting down and destroying all the copies of the book to make sure he never has to return, while also bringing over villains from his own story and other books to create an army of underlings. Mo and Meggie are teamed up with Dustfinger, as well as Mo's stuffy and book-loving Aunt Elinor (Helen Mirren), in their search to restore order to both worlds. Their only hope is to track down the novel's author, Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent), and convince him to hand over the original manuscript.

Although it doesn't exploit it nearly enough, Inkheart does have some fun with its idea of literary characters entering our world. (Toto the dog and the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz both play roles in the plot.) With a premise like this, it's disappointing that they couldn't fit more characters in. The film's budget certainly seems healthy enough. Most of the literary references are unfortunately reserved for throw away gags, though, such as the fact that Capricorn's main chamber are filled with items from books he's pulled over with the aid of another Silvertongue who works for him, including Cinderella's glass slipper, the Sword in the Stone, and Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone. Even if the movie isn't nearly as smart as it could have been, there is some intelligence to be found. The special effects and set designs are strong, there are some dry and subtle one-liners thrown into the dialogue, and a lot of the actors (especially Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, and Andy Serkis) seem to be enjoying themselves, and approach the material with the right attitude of straight-laced goofiness.

The cast is really the key ingredient that winds up making the film semi-successful. Brendan Fraser is surprisingly low key here, a departure from his wise-cracking adventurer persona from the Mummy films that I was expecting. As his daughter, Eliza Bennett seems to be a bit too old to be 12, but she still manages to be a likable and strong young heroine. She actually winds up playing a larger role in the story than he does, especially when it's discovered she's inherited her father's abilities. Paul Bettany also surprised me, giving his character a somewhat somber and heartfelt tone. His character wants to return to the book and be reunited with his wife (played by his real-life wife, Jennifer Connelly, in an uncredited cameo). In fact, the film's entire tone caught me off guard, as it's surprisingly serious and not the fun-filled family romp I imagined. While there is nothing here that offends, the movie does often delve into dark and scary territory, and the laughs are kept kind of light. Adults will probably enjoy this approach, but some small children may wish they were watching Hotel for Dogs.

Inkheart has the unfortunate timing to be released about a month after Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories, another family fantasy about reality and fiction merging. The movie's been completed for well over a year, and I have no idea what New Line is thinking releasing it now. The movie may not be anything great, but it is a smarter and more rewarding approach to the premise than Sandler's take. The movie has some good ideas, strong performances, and kept my attention. Sometimes, that's all I'm looking for during the bleak days of January.

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