'LIFE OF PI'

'LIFE OF PI' (PG) (3 STARS)

Written by David Magee based on the novel by Yann Martel
Directed by Ang Lee
Actors: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Gerard Depardieu, Rafe Spall

It has been a long time and it is very rare when a movie these days begs for 3D visuals. It is usually not worth the trouble to pay an extra charge for a movie that actually looks better in 2D. "Life of Pi" is the first movie since "Avatar" that needs the 3D effect to make it that more special. It is a visually arresting, breathtaking and serene movie. I wanted to start here on how beautiful this movie looks because I am afraid the story didn't grab me like I thought it would. I have seen this surviving nature story done better if not as visually beautiful as this movie is.

The story is a minor quibble for me because I think people should see this movie and it is a wonderful family movie. Good for families because most movies for kids are loud and obnoxious. "Life of Pi" is quiet, a great meditation on nature and how to survive it and the tiger is very special. The movie is framed by the old reliable writer talks to the man who survived an ordeal trick, more on that later. A writer comes to the house of Pi, now an adult, who will tell him his story of surviving the ocean on a small boat stuck with an escaped tiger. Pi has to survive storms, terrible waves, starvation and this Bengali tiger who wants to eat him.

"Life of Pi" starts with a young Pi who grows up in India being made fun of in school by kids for his full name and being taught responsibility and religion by his stern father. I liked this opening story even though I would have cut 10 minutes from it, we want the real stuff to kick in. Tne boy and his family will move to Canada by ship and there will be a great storm that will hit the ship. Pi escapes but is thrown off the ship into a small boat losing other members of his family. Pi is in the middle of the ocean and finds out that on his little boat is an escaped tiger from the many animals that were being transported on the ship. Pi now has to survive weather and starvation and now he has to make sure he doesn't get eaten.

The middle section of this movie is fascinating stuff and I appreciate that the movie is quiet and takes it's time with beautiful shots of the ocean. The suspense of Pi trying to tame and become friends with the tiger is also a high. The visuals in this movie are astonishing including the mix of CGI and four real tigers standing in for this beautiful animal. There are also two breathtaking scenes that I will not spoil here but I will tell you they will hypnotize you. I love how Ang Lee uses 3D to make us feel like we are on that boat and the water is truly surrounding us. "Life of Pi" is a reason why only a very select few movies should be in 3D.

If you love movies about nature and the human condition you will love this movie and it will visually blow you away and the story is sometimes very compelling. It is way better than a movie like "Castaway", which this resembles, which seems sillier the more I think of it. What would you choose, a movie about a survivor with a volley ball or one with a tiger?

I really like this movie but I keep thinking of a movie like "The Black Stallion" which had a more embracing story that touched your heart more. The problem to me I think is the distracting writer character, the story would have been more effective without that weak character that is only there so the main character can narrate. This movie doesn't need narration, it would have affected me more if the movie just breathed and washed over me. The other problem is that this way of narrating the story spoils the ending of this movie. I did not read this book and now knowing what will happen to the main character from the beginning keeps me from being surprised and emotionally connected to this movie.

"Life of Pi" is a visually beautiful movie with a compelling story of survival that kids should see. It is quiet, subtle, not forced and fun to look at. How they present the tiger is amazing and thrilling and the 3D enhances the movie greatly without distracting us. I did not love it but I had a great time, appreciated the care and detail that Ang Lee put into this movie. It will hit a lot of movie goers right in the heart if it didn't quite do it to me. I am very happy that it was made and I wish more movies geared towards kids were this careful, simple, special and grown up.