Review: Life of Pi 3D (2012)

Thanks to Nuffnang, I got to catch the premiere screening of Life of Pi, one of the highly anticipated movies in 2012 :)

If you didn't already know what this story is about, it's actually taken from the novel of the same title, written by Yann Martel. I read this book nine years ago, and I made it a point to read it again to refresh my memory before I caught the movie. Needless to say,  I was enthralled once again by the prose and how the words flow off the page to paint a picture of what it's like out at sea.

So like an eager bunny, I waited in anticipation for the day of the screening to see if it lived up to my expectations. Tony gave it a 5/5 so I wanted to know if I would give the same :)

Synopsis:
Life of Pi is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

Verdict:  9.5/10. If you loved the book, you will most probably like the movie. Ang Lee did a superb job in bringing the book to life, and showing off the salient details from the book. Of course, there were some subtle differences made to the movie, such as the presence of a potential lover which was squashed when he has to leave her, but perhaps they needed to create an environment where he is reluctant to leave India for Canada, the feeling as if he has left something behind.

I was particularly curious how they were going to portray the carnivorous island, and I was relatively impressed when we arrived at that part. I quite liked how they made the island look as if it's a human lying down :p Nice touch there.

Of course, there were some parts of the book that was left out, but it was ok. The story still seams together like a tapestry, which is quite a feat :)

If you have not watched it yet and is curious what it's about, check out the trailer below:

Sidenote: There were two stories given by Pi at the end of the movie, one with animals, and one without. Either one you believe is entirely up to you, and which story you believe shows if you believe in God. Granted, it's nothing short of a miracle that someone can survive for 227 days out at sea and still live to tell the tale. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you believe that such an extraordinary thing could have happened out there in the vast ocean. I tend to think the second story is the truth, but I do not discount the fact that the first story could also have happened, barring the circumstances.

This is my kind of movie :)

Read this review on the film, and I thought it was well written :)
http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/11/26/reader-spotlight-steve50-on-life-of-pi/