Life of Pi

Similar to What Dreams May Come, visually captivating, technically precise, and an essentially empty film outlining religion, family cohesion, and survival adventure. But it’s so tedious that even though the form is self-indulgently mesmerizing, it’s not entertaining. Ang Lee leaned too heavily into the camera and and the visual effects at the expense of everything else, and there’s no originality, let alone this being the film of the year. (08/14/2015)

When I left the cinema I thought I was probably expecting something deeper and more intense, but then I realised that I was actually expecting something like a beautifully colourful and bitter fairy tale with lots of digital animals, which I actually got. The beginning was kind of slow (maybe it could have been a little shorter), but the boat ride, the shipwreck and the fight for survival were absolutely amazing. Many of the scenes looked magical and were a feast for the eyes, for example the sunset or the night at sea. All the digital animals looked incredibly realistic (the tiger, the meerkats, ...), so kudos to the VFX artists. As for the main character, you have to take into account that this was the actor's debut and therefore you have to forgive him something, but in the end there wasn't much. In short, a colourful adventure of one boy that gives room to some interesting religious digressions. (12/25/2012)

From the moment the devastating storm hits the ship, Ang Lee captivated me with his storytelling and the courage of the human spirit. Suraj Sharma's sincere performance, the curiosity of which creature or object will appear next, and above all, the perfect audiovisuals that keep me awake at night, all made their contributions. All the fish, islands, waves, and most importantly, Richard Parker, along with the flawless soundtrack, convinced me that the rumors of its astonishing form were true. So why not give it the full rating? Because I cannot fully accept the ending. The choice that suddenly appeared before me is actually quite gratifying for the audience. It allows more cynical individuals to distance themselves from the incredible visuals and perhaps give Pi's whole life a higher spiritual dimension. And yet I never wanted to have such doubts. Choosing for yourself how the film actually ended is often a clever trick in screenwriting, but here the film falls a bit short. I would truly prefer to embark on the mesmerizing journey across half the world and do away with the sincere lesson about faith. This voyage never became immortal, but hats off to how the film, where for the most part we see only a man, a tiger, and the sea onscreen, becomes a captivating spectacle that sticks in your mind. (02/22/2013)

People like to look for a noble, spiritual dimension in suffering. I suffered like a hyena for two hours, but I didn't find any such dimension (although "my mother is an orangutan" at least brought a wicked laugh to my lips). Objectively, it's very nicely colored, smooth and cleverly told, but I always prefer the adrenaline and animality of 127 Hours over the spiritual Circus Humberto. Perhaps one of the 33 million gods who spiritually sponsor this film will not send me on a ship with Suraj Sharma. Because at the moment I want to kill him. (12/05/2012)

I rate this movie five stars for one simple reason. I liked it mostly because it is able to stay on top of all the big religions of the world. It’s kind of a big philosophical view on humans and animals and the world around them. It was really nice to watch and it was even nicer to experience it with Pi, as he was played by a great actor and Ang Lee as an incredibly likeable director added a beautiful, positive and unique atmosphere full of original ideas that you simply have to appreciate. (05/13/2013)