While everyone is currently going gaga over Star Wars, I will do everyone a favor by not writing about the science fiction film series and revealing plot details. A fan I am not. And it’s not because Yoda or Skywalker failed to amuse me. It’s because I don’t remember seeing one of the films at all.
So let’s talk about the movie adaptation of the French classic The Little Prince instead. Perhaps the only book I’ve read countless times since high school and through adulthood, this work of Exupery is close to my heart. I was in my early teens when I first borrowed a copy from the library and I swore to myself that I will never forget to be a child because I thought that’s what the le petit prince was trying to tell the grown-ups. Ironic for a kid, I know.
Anyway, the film was not loyal to the manuscript, and it was evident on the first few minutes of the movie. A good tactic, I must say, because viewers would let go of their expectations, forget about the book, and absorb what Mark Osborne was about to allow movie-goers to experience. Absorb his work we did.
I was amused with the graphics, especially with the 3D stop motion. They looked like they were lifted directly from Antoine’s sketches. The sound track perfectly set the mood. You would want to buy the album for Sunday-morning listening or for when you want calm music in the background. I’d say the movie was as interesting as the little prince’s journey to Earth, but I think certain moving dialogues in the book were overly used. “Thanks for rubbing it in, pareng Mark,” you’d probably say. As a result, the once essential parts of book just lost their, um, essence.
The entertainment took a nosedive when one of the protagonists–the girl–seemed to have lost her mind. “A crude airplane cannot travel that far,” my brain said. “That can’t happen in the real world.” A few minutes later, the film redeemed itself and sent its timeless, important message to the audience before “Fin” appeared.
Initially, I thought only the grown-ups would appreciate the film. But it looked like only kids would appreciate the unwelcome (at least by me) adventure the girl took. I was a little disappointed. And perhaps, the little prince is just as disappointed in me because I have forgotten to be a child and have focused on “matters of consequence.”
Digital Dash 