Any attempt to bring a classic book to the big screen is always going to fall short, especially when this story has imprinted itself in the hearts of the young since 1952. The characters will look and sound nothing like they do in our imagination. However, timing is an important dynamic in creating any film; we needed a nice, gentle story about magic, authentic relationships and hope. Christmas comedies have grown tiresome, attempts to bring biblical narratives about transcendent events are disappointing, and films that better fit Halloween than a traditionally religious holiday related to human kindness feel "grossly" out of place. Therefore, reclining with the kids while watching a good movie (not great, just good) feels alright. That is what this movie is: it is alright. There is no snap, crackle or pop; there is an abscence of spine-tingling drama; and, the laughs are very sporatic. Still, I'll take it. A little magic and hope are better than nothing.… Expand

I think that this movie was one of the cutest I've seen all year, I loved the book and the movie was awsome. The movie was everything I pictured it would be when I read it.

A good family movie. Dakota Fanning does a good job, curious how she will grow into older roles. All the voices were good, I think Julia Roberts did a good job contrary to many critics.

Nothing spectecular about this films, but it gracefully and faithfully conveys E. B. White's charming story which is just what one can reasonably expect from it.

OMG (Oh my Gosh!) This movie was great! Wilbur has a great sense of humor and so does Charlotte! She is so caring and loveable for Wilbur! My mom loved it and so did my grandma! Hope you liked it too.

A truly overrated movie. Julia Roberts was insufferable as Charlotte. This was a boring movie. I took my nine year daughter to see Charlotte's Web. After 20 minutes she layed down on the seat to go asleep. I told her that I just paid $14 and she needed to stay awake. She got her revenge 20 minutes later when I was so bored to death that I tried to go to sleep. She woke me up to remind me that we were on a Father-Daughter date and that I should stay awake. Oh this was a boring film in case that has not come across strong enough.… Expand

One of 2006's more noteworthy cinematic quirks was Michael Winterbottom's amusing stab at filming Laurence Sterne's (The Life and Opinions of) Tristram Shandy, a work that has been catalogued as completely unfilmable even by those who DID get through reading it. (Winterbottom's approach was to make it a spoof halfway between the styles of Christopher Guest and the Zucker brothers; this was probably as valid as any other and certainly more watchable.) E. B. White's masterpiece Charlotte's Web--a bonafide classic that doesn't need the slightly condescending designation 'children's' since it's a great book no matter what the reader's age--is the opposite of Sterne; it's seemingly impossible NOT for anyone to be able to make a decent movie out of it. This was proven in 1973 when Hanna-Barbera Studios, whose Saturday morning cartoon product had by this time plumbed new depths in cheesy animation, sloppy scriptwriting and derivative plot and character work, STILL managed to make a rousing, good-looking and utterly charming film version. (But a lot of H-B's stuff from the previous decade: Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, Jonny Quest and more, still ranks in the 'very-good-to-near-great' category. Rest in peace, Joe, Ed and Iwao.) The eventually inevitable live-action do-over equals or tops the cartoon in most areas because White's themes are so universal and his foundation so solid, and the vocal performances are so much on the mark. Julia Roberts is wonderfully warm, beguiling and nonsaccharine as the compassionate, wise title character, a spider who "spins" a publicity campaign to save her friend Wilbur the pig from the smokehouse--between this and The Ant Bully she's emerging as the cinema's prime interpreter of creatures with more than four legs! (Her vocals also help remedy the necessary hurdle of Charlotte's visual depiction; while all the farm animals are played by a seamless blend of real critters and realistic CGI, she's a very obvious visual effect: obviously cuter than any real arachnid gets to be, but out of sync with the rest of the creatures.) Steve Buscemi as the gleefully self-centered Templeton the rat manages the near-impossible: he matches Paul Lynde's peerless 1973 work, while Robert Redford's offbeat casting as a slightly cowardly horse is a more subdued delight. The director is equally well-cast; Gary Winick's two biggest previous ventures Tadpole and 13 Going on 30 dealt with the differences between adults and adolescents, and a major theme of White's book is growing up--whether by Wilbur reaching emotional maturity and independence or by his young master Fern growing less attentive to pigs and more so to boys. A few tonal changes don't hurt the original story but are worth mentioning: although the death of a very sympathetic character was treated by White not as a calamity or a disaster but as a very natural part of life (and may have been for some children who haven't lost loved ones or friends their first introduction to this concept), it's somewhat downplayed here perhaps to guarantee a G rating. In introducing two hungry crows (voiced by Andre Benjamin and Thomas Haden Church) who weren't in the book, the moviemakers have actually made Templeton's reluctance to search the junkyard for items that could save Wilbur's life somewhat more justifiable than sheer laziness and selfishness were in the original, since he definitely qualifies as a blue-plate special for the predatory birds! It's also an indication of how much times have changed that in the late 1970s/ early 1980s network showings of Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles had slashed the legendary "bean scene" (so what was the point of showing it on TV in the first place?) but in this age of Captain Underpants, fart jokes in kids' movies are seemingly as essential as climactic boxing matches are in Rocky films. No exception is made here, but at least the obligatory passing of gas doesn't seem as contrived or out of place. After all, if your movie is going to feature barnyard humor, might as well set half of it in a barn!… Expand

This movie is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life. I wasted 5 bucks on this movie. the acting was terrible. This is a disgrace to E.B. White!

The movie is nice but both the movie and storybook is differ in their plot. so i was not sure which is the real one but i still prefer the movie.

What do you get when you combine the acting talents of young Dakota Fanning with an all-star cast and mix it with the classic tale of a pig named Wilbur and his spider friend, Charlotte? The answer is easy. You get what appears to be a great film at first look, but really is only a fair adaptation which pales in comparison to the book in which it is based on. Gary Winick's take on E.B. White's 1952 novel 'Charlotte's Web' tells the tale of a young pig named Wilbur, who here is voiced by Dominic Scott Kay. Late one night just as he is about to be slaughtered for being a runt, he is saved by a young girl. Fern, played by Dakota Fanning, rushes in and promises to care for him and in doing so, inevitably ends up spending all her free time with him. Soon though Wilbur grows to be a bit too big to remain in the house. Fern's mother then decides it is time for him to go and live across the road in her uncle's barn. Reluctantly, Fern agrees. Once there Wilbur, befriends what is considered to be a hideous creature residing within the corner of the barn's entrance. This creature would be the spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica, who is voiced by Julia Roberts. As time passes Wilbur eventually learns of the fate all spring pigs such as himself meet in the winter. It is then that Charlotte promises Wilbur she will not let him meet that fate and he will indeed see the first snow of winter. Now it's all up to Charlotte to find a way to get the message across to Fern's uncle and everyone else that Wilbur is anything but ordinary. 'Charlotte's Web' was one of the few films I was really looking forward to this year. I honestly don't know what it was, but there was something about the trailer that when I first saw it made me go, wow. Now that I've finally seen the film, I look back at that trailer and say, wow. Only this time it's not the original wow of awe I had. It is a wow of realization that not only is the book better than the film, but so is the trailer. I was hoping for excellence. The only thing excellent I saw was Julia Robert's voice performance, which is boosted by the interesting CGI character design created for, Charlotte. Even though the story is great, the film does not manage to pull it's weight. Ninety percent of the film is done with the camera remaining still. This makes the scenes seem one dimensional and dull. The all-star cast is a bit of a problem as well. Since I knew and recognized every person playing each character, it was hard to not focus on that aspect. The irony of Oprah Winfrey playing a chatty goose is just too funny to not snicker at over and over again. Despite those things though, we have to remember who this film was made for: kids. I don't believe they are going to even know who most of the people playing the characters are, much less how the film was shot. The constant jokes will be enough the keep them happy and entertained. So even though it falls flat by normal standards, the fact that it can be enjoyed by children makes it okay in my book.… Expand

... such a simple film... not BABE but def. worth while seeing your kid smile at kid humor without double meaning... cant help compare to the original cartoon from the 70s ...but dakato fanning shines and the rest of the cast hits that pleasantville note... check curious george if you havnt another great film from 2006.

This movie sucks. It gives e.b. white a horrlbile look.

The biggest fear anyone could have coming into this movie is if the charming and loving Charlotte that we all remember as kids would transfer well to live action. Well, the answer is surprisingly, yes. This is not because looking directly into a spiders face is not creepy, which the barn animals quickly attest to. It's mostly because this time tested classic is such a heartwarmer and Julia Roberts does a magnificent job of bringing out that heart. I cried, just like I did when I was a child, when Charlotte died, but smiled in excitement when her 514 baby spiders when flying into the sky. This is a feel-good movie and that is exactly what it will make you do.… Expand

Paint by numbers. The film has no life at all. Too bad the story is great. Do yourself a favor and go rent Babe. That film is great and it has a soul.

To suggest this movie has no life is cavalier at best, irresponsible at worst. It is a beautifully crafted, lovingly nuanced, and artistically made film. And, it is the truest, best expression of E.B. White's book to date. The casting is in service to the story, yet feels wonderfully inspired, the most daring and successful being Julia Roberts as Charlotte. The maternal glow that she must be experiencing in real life translates into the most complex, haunting and comforting Charlotte yet translated. The notes of grace, humility and appreciation for all that is 'ordinary' are pitched perfect here, exactly as I would imagine E.B. White meant them to be. This is a classic that will stand right next to Babe, A Christmas Story, The Wizard of Oz and (the original) Willy Wonka in most dvd collections.… Expand

Worth seeing, even if you don't have kids. Kids in the theater certainly loved it and were emotionally involved; one child cried out, "I don't want Charlotte to die!" The story's emotion even put a lump in my throat, maybe more because I remembered how I felt when my 3rd grade teacher read us the book. My main criticism is with Julia Roberts' performance; it's horrible. In Charlotte's first few appearances, you can really tell that she is reading dialogue rather than acting. Her voice is a miss-match for Charlotte, lacking in undertones of wisdom and sincerity that I imagined in Charlotte's voice. The sense that she is merely reading dialogue fades a bit, but never leaves. Otherwise, a spendid movie.… Expand

I have always been amazed at the genius of EB White for making such a great story about a pig, a spider, a girl and a rat that actually deals with some pretty deep themes like death, the potential interconnectedness of all things, and love. The story works and this movie works too.