Movie Review: Gulliver's Travels

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Last Saturday, we decided to watch Gulliver's Travels in 3D in a cinema near our place. I wasn't really interested in seeing the film, but I wanted to see the trailers so I cared to join. Unfortunately, we were late and missed it.

Gulliver (Jack Black) is pretty much a modern-day loser who is "head" of the mail room office of a well-known magazine, and is in love with its travel editor, Darcy (Amanda Peet). It starts when his newly hired assistant tells him that he's never going to get anywhere because he's too pussy to speak up his mind (ie: asking Darcy out on a date). It all comes to him like a flash and decides to go over and just bluntly ask her. He doesn't quite get to this part though, cause he was too busy being dumbfounded with her gorgeous eyes and infectious smile and instead, bluffs his way into making an article about his travel assignment in the Bermuda Triangle. He rides a boat, which unfortunately sails into a storm while he's asleep, and brings him to the kingdom of Lilliput. This land, inhabited by little (and by little I mean tiny) people, is reminiscent of England in the 18th century where princesses had to be wooed and when feasts and balls are called upon by means of celebration. These little people do everything in their power to capture Gulliver, but in the end he becomes a hero of the land.

Since I wasn't captured in the film's trailer, I decided to read up on reviews before going to the cinema. I found out that Gulliver's Travels is indeed a classic children's tale, reminiscent of Mark Twain's The Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. The bad thing though was that the movie was cut short, and only showed two chapters -- Gulliver's adventure to Lilliput where everyone is tiny, and his adventure to Brobdingnag, where everyone is huge. The movie misses out on three whole chapters and I must say, that doesn't do the book justice. It isn't all bad though, there are some partly funny parts in the film too, although I expected more of a hysterical kind of laughter especially since Jack Black starred in this movie. Also, they did too much rip offs of famous movies like The Titanic and Iron Man.

I guess I saw this coming... This film not being as entertaining as it ought to be. It was a good adventure, but it could've been great. Two stars, perhaps.