Inkheart
New Line Home Video | Release Date: January 23, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
19
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
It’s a familiar tale, but one told with gusto, wit and visual flare; of particular note is the dilapidated Germanic fortress where Capricorn and his cronies reside, which looks like it was plucked straight from the warped minds of a Gilliam or a del Toro. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Inkheart was shot in and around Liguria on the Italian Riviera, and it looks absolutely ravishing. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
The story itself is so charmingly dense, fractious, and complicated that it frequently leaves the obvious good-guy-fights-bad-guy groove, and noses toward Terry Gilliam-esque randomness and ebullience. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Inkheart feels a little confused in its tone and direction, but only a little, and I appreciate the way it both celebrates the power of literature and reminds us that stories have a life beyond the page, even if they are only in our hearts and minds. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Mirren's all-out display in this distinctly British absurdo-literary extravaganza had me wishing Elinor were my own fabulous auntie and that she'd lend me some magic items from her closet. Read full review
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
For the young people in its demographic wheelhouse, Inkheart packs a welcome amount of entertainment value, creating a genuinely original world of enchantment. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz
Inkheart is entertaining enough, if not always easy to follow. And if it does nothing else, at least it may inspire kids to read, if for no other reason than to help make sense of it all. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
A fine ensemble, some gorgeous Italian Riviera locales, intermittent flashes of magic amid a more manufactured air of whimsy. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineJason Buchanan
A film that's brimming with fascinating ideas and elevated by some memorable performances. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
It's a shame that by its conclusion the movie feels like just another special-effects-driven story. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Inkheart looks good and is well acted but, in the end, it left me indifferent. Read full review
60
Film ThreatMatthew Sorrento
This children's fantasy flirts with the dark side, though family values win out. Thus, the movie remains devoted to heroism and is as opposed to the bad guys as it would be to killing off Brendan Fraser. Read full review
60
IGNCindy White
Inkheart is one of those "family" movies that ins't necessarily for the entire family. While this is a decent audio and visual presentation, it's probably more suited to a younger audience (the inclusion of a full-screen version is a dead giveaway). Give it a rent if you're curious, but this title simply isn't substantial enough to recommend owning it. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw
CGI fantasy adventures in the post-Potter, young-adult, old-child mode are not quite my taste, but this one is likably boisterous, and Iain Softley directs with flair. Read full review
60
The TelegraphDavid Gritten
Inkheart is cheerful and amiable, and in the absence of a Harry Potter film this winter, it fills a gap neatly. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Cold, bland and gimmicky - that's how the movie has turned out. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The movie begins to seem a little overloaded and gimmicky once characters from children's classics begin turning up (including Toto from The Wizard of Oz), but it's handsomely mounted. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kamal AL-Solaylee
This is a stunning-looking film with a dark romantic cloud (quite literally) hanging over its every shot. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
You know a movie's not working when you see minotaurs, flying monkeys, "The Wizard of Oz's" Toto and Helen Mirren riding a unicorn -- all on the screen at the same time -- and you're still waiting for the thing to be over so you can go home and get on with your life. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Most of the time it looks like we're on the back lot for a Romanian production of "Lord of the Rings IV." Read full review
50
VarietyJustin Chang
Despite abundant talent on both sides of the camera and a bevy of eye-catching supernatural beasties, this f/x-heavy story of a literature-loving father and daughter battling dark forces unleashed from the pages of a rare tome doesn't conjure much in the way of bigscreen magic. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Not realizing that Inkheart is based on a famous fantasy novel, I had the foolish hope the movie might be about books. No luck. Wait till you hear what it's about. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
The actors are mostly charming; Bettany in particular is broody and cool. Read full review
50
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Graced with so many fanciful touches and features such a marvelous assortment of U.K. and American actors that it seems almost unjust that the final product is so curiously lacking in magic. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Inkheart goes crazy with fairy tale characters popping in and out, all sorts of fantastical creatures materializing and so many rescues one loses count. Yet the movie fails to involve the key constituent: the audience. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesSheri Linden
With no unifying sensibility, the magic thuds more often than it soars. Read full review
40
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Aims for a blend of whimsy and tingly suspense but botches nearly every spell it tries to cast. Read full review
40
Village VoiceNick Pinkerton
It all smacks of that overdone "passion for literature" common in English teachers who send any healthy-minded kid running from books. Read full review
40
NPRBob Mondello
It's all handsomely produced, but none of the characters (save perhaps Bettany's fire-juggler) has a distinctive enough personality to make much of an impression. Read full review
40
Orlando SentinelRoger Moore
So while we can appreciate the decent effects, the bang-up settings and a good cast, we can only hope they got some sight-seeing in on their days off. Whatever magic there was on this shoot is probably in their home movies. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle Smith
A flea market of fairy tales and hocus-pocus, Inkheart makes as much sense as an inkblot. Read full review
30
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Not since the thunderous digital onslaughts of "Jumanji" has the big screen seen such too-muchness. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Seemingly intended as a celebration of the power of books, it's an occasionally incoherent, sleep-inducing picture that reduces narrative to mere mechanics. Read full review
20
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
A kids' adventure movie can be a lot of things -- wild and woolly, loosey-goosey, full of foolishness -- but they should never be shabby. And that's the best word for Inkheart. Read full review
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