Inkheart

PG

Released Jan 23, 2009

1 hr. 45 min.

Kids & Family

Adventure

Fantasy

List

38%

146 Reviews

Tomatometer

45%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Mo (Brendan Fraser) and his daughter, Meggie, have the ability to bring storybook characters to life just by reading aloud. That gift backfires when he accidentally summons Capricorn, the evil villain of the novel "Inkheart." Mo and Meggie must find a way to send him back to his literary realm, but the task will not be easy, for the malefactor likes his new world and will not leave it voluntarily.

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Premiered Apr 30

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Critics Consensus

Heavy on cliches and light on charm, this kid-lit fantasy-adventure doesn't quite get off the ground.

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Ashley C

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I have no idea why it didn't do well 😞

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Mark B

It went on a bit much too much out of the fire and into the frying pan over and over again. Had some charm but in the end it was just ok as kids movies go.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

Audience Member

15 years later yet I find this to be very average It's got a great cast with some nice fantasy elements Brendan Fraser, Hellen Mirren, Paul Bettany, Sienna Guillory, James Broadbent, and Andy Serkis Based on the book by Cornelia Funke it focuses on a family that unknowingly has the power to bring characters to life by reading books Mortimer had a wife with his daughter but she disappeared Several years later his daughter Meggie grows up traveling with him endlessly His past catches up when one of the book characters from one story called Inkheart named Dustfinger finds him Mortimer Meggie and their aunt get caught up by the villainous Capricorn who's come into the real world wanting to rule It's funny cause this has one of the quickest exposition dumps They jump right into the mix of things It's a good viewing for families yet I think adults will be wanting more Some of the ideas feel very restricted and Sienna Guillory kinda disappears into the background The stuff with the shadow monster is really cool if not the best part This isn't awful but it just comes off as serviceable overall

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

Full Review

KB B

It's not the best movie of this genre I've seen but it's fairly entertaining. Give it a try if there's nothing else on.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/18/23

Full Review

Emilliano Jr S

Great ensemble, horrible execution.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/22/23

Full Review

tovangar T

Lacking in charm. Fraser looks gaunt and unhappy as he did in Mummy III. Left wondering why it took Fraser's character 9 years to find the author for a copy of the book that will save his wife (who's back in the real world anyway).

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

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Iain Softley

Director

Brendan Fraser

Mo

Paul Bettany

Dustfinger

Helen Mirren

Elinor

Jim Broadbent

Fenoglio

Andy Serkis

Capricorn

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Anna King

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Christine Champ

Film.com

Rated: C+

May 6, 2011

Full Review

Evan Williams

The Australian

Readers who want to exercise their imaginations may prefer to stick to the written word. If a story gets boring, you can always skip a few pages and move on. In the cinema there isn't much choice.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 10, 2009

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A good fantasy book, or one of the movies this one steals from, would keep the family much more entertained.

Rated: 1/4

Dec 15, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The basic plot is as convoluted and faulty as time travel, and without very finite ground rules, the details and conclusion feel contrived.

Rated: 5/10

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Brendan Fraser does his usual fine job here, though it's hard not to feel like perhaps he's done one too many family films in such a short span.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 12, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Mo (Brendan Fraser) and his daughter, Meggie, have the ability to bring storybook characters to life just by reading aloud. That gift backfires when he accidentally summons Capricorn, the evil villain of the novel "Inkheart." Mo and Meggie must find a way to send him back to his literary realm, but the task will not be easy, for the malefactor likes his new world and will not leave it voluntarily.

Director: Iain Softley
Executive Producer: Toby Emmerich, Mark Ordesky, Ileen Maisel, Andy Light
Screenwriter: David Lindsay-Abaire
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG (Fantasy Adventure Action|Brief Language|Some Scary Moments)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.3M

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