Reviews

As other people have pointed out here, the book gives you more layers and background information and the film would probably work best if you read the book first, that way, you will be able to understand what's going on much better.

The acting was wonderful, the casting spot on. The children were delightful and not over the top.

So many aspects of the book had to be stripped out in order for a relatively linear story to survive and make sense in just 97 minutes. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the film immensely, watching it in Swedish with subtitles. The way the Swedes talk to each other, e.g. very simple, bare, stripped down reactions, underlines the emotional intensity. They might not say much, but there's a lot bubbling inside them - and this would be better understood if one had read the book first.

Throughout the film, I was rooting for Britt-Marie. I adore films where repressed and downtrodden characters slowly unfold - like a chrysalis turning into a butterfly.

What I would like to read now is a book called "What Britt-Marie Did Next". I feel there is more potential in that character.

For a low-budget film that uses a lot of non-professionals, this is a really good film.

A pleasing plot. Very neat.

And the children are great actors.

I'm glad I watched it. I almost didn't - because of the low rating.

I had watched a big-budget children's film before it and that had the same rating. I gave it a 4. It was dire.

This film, however, is so much better.

No special effects, no professional child actors, but just so much better.

The plot is simplistic and relies on coincidences and it's a bit patchy in places but what the heck. If it makes you laugh and you come out of the cinema with a smile on your face, then it's achieved what it set out to do - it's a comedy after all.

Once again, there are some spectacular stunts - and most of them done with precision but also fun. I sit in the cinema with my mouth open most of the time. And there were times when I slid as far down my seat as possible and almost hid my eyes completely - I'm scared of heights.

It was a good evening and I forgot my worries for as long as the film played.

It's a homey little movie with some nice songs, and the toy-taker's explanation even had me with tears in the eyes (but then I do get sentimental over old toys).

Ah drat... the ending.. just watching it. Awwwwwwwwwwww. So cute.

So what if it's not of the same standard as Shrek? Does everything have to look the same? Just accept the graphics they way they are and go with the flow.

I liked some of the characters very much - especially the dental elf. And the way that misfits can fit in. Maybe I'm just easy to please.

It'll be great for the smaller children. I know young children who get upset by Bambi's mother's death or the death of the father in the Lion King. I mean .. REALLY upset and distressed. This should be a film that won't scare the little ones and keep them entranced for an hour and a quarter.

And I liked some of the soupy songs - I don't find them any worse than the usual Disney stuff.

For those that pan this film - I say... let the children enjoy it - you can go off and watch The Matrix.

There are enough films around to please everyone's taste.

Or rather 6.5 out of ten.

Right ... let's get the worst bits out of the way. The ending - I didn't like. Too much slapstick. A little bit like the ending of Benny Hill's show where everyone just runs around after each other. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

The beginning - the scenes with David Niven and his house and the castle in Scotland - well, that just didn't gel with what came afterward. The next scenes were too much of a jump from the opening scenes. The bit in Scotland was okay - it just didn't fit in with the rest of Scotland. I did like Deborah Kerr's character though. So different from her usual films.

The idea of training a Bond to be able to resist women but being irresistible himself - nice idea. But it wasn't followed up.

The rest was fine. I haven't read all the comments on IMDb but of those I have read, no-one seems to have mentioned Mike Myers and The Spy Who... films. This film, made in 1967, seems to have predicted a fair few things to come. It's predicted the Mike Myer films; it's predicted the gadgetry of Q and how preposterous some of it became; it's even predicted the slight tongue-in-cheek attitude of some of the later Bond films; and it's set the style of most of the later Bond films.

I liked some of the scenes just by themselves. I loved the interaction between Ursuala Andress and Peter Sellers. She is GORGEOUS and he's amazing too - the scenes where he dresses up show off some of his other facets of mimicry. But just the chemistry between the two of them was great.

And seeing Ronnie Corbett in a completely different role was a real eye-opener. A bit sleazy - rather like the compère in Cabaret.

It's a real film of the sixties - the scenes, the fashion, the music and even the film sets.

So .. if you can stomach the beginning and the end.. the middle bit's pretty good.

I did enjoy this film a lot. It's a very stylish parody of many different films and types of film, including The Matrix, The Silence of the Lambs, westerns, film noir - especially the Edgar Wallace black-and-white films.

I liked the gags - even some of the more puerile ones - and there were a few twists and turns in the plot, too. I'd even consider going to see it a second time.

The acting was well done, the scenes were well set up and the casting was great, too. I was quite impressed with the opening credits. The only criticism I have is that the out-takes during the end credits weren't as funny as those in Jackie Chan films.

I went along knowing nothing of this film, but came out utterly amazed by it. I thought it was as good as Return of the King - and that's saying something since I'm such a fan of Lord of the Rings I actually went to New Zealand and was in Wellington for the premiere of ROTK.

Although I didn't shed a single tear for ROTK, I was in tears within five minutes. The cause? The sight of a whole school of dolphins leaping out of water. It was such a beautiful sight. I cried three times in total.

The camera work was breathtaking. They must have taken years to get all the shots.

The cast was in the thousands. The orca whales were the Uruk-hai of the sea, the sharks were the orcs. The jellyfish get the award for best costume. The penguins are like the hobbits - they supply the laughs.

There is so much drama here. There is a scene with sharks and fish and the fish hide under rocks and I was literally screaming (in my mind).. 'Stay where you are! Don't move!" It was like the scene where the hobbits are being chased by the Black Riders.

And if you're interested in geology there are fantastic shots of the mid-Atlantic ridge. Breath-taking shots of it. And hydrothermal vents. Wonderful

I am still incoherent with amazement at this film. Worth even a second viewing.