3 stars
This is a tricky one for me to rate. I remember I used to watch the movie all the time when I was little. I don’t remember if I liked it; I vividly remember being terrified by the Red Bull and the harpy, but I’m assuming I liked it if I remember watching it so many times. Anyway, I have not read the book yet, so all I had to work with was my childhood memories of the movie.
Overall, this adaption was good. I realize it is difficult to reduce such a long and complicated novel into a single graphic novel. The story itself seemed kind of loose and not very engaging. It just kind of flowed onward to its end point. I didn’t feel very engaged with it. The characters were okay, but again, I just didn’t engage with them. I watched them carry out their parts, but didn’t feel like I was really in the story.
Having said all of that, the artwork in this book is spectacular. Absolutely gorgeous. The style and colors are just amazing. I loved marveling over the pages as I was reading (especially the color contrast between the unicorn and the Red Bull). I have read a few graphic novels where I read the words and just like of gloss over the pictures because they aren’t that exciting, but this one halts you in your tracks and forces you to examine all of the intricacies. Phenomenal.
I can see this being a great book for those who love the story and have already read the book and seen the movie to really appreciate it. It definitely helps having a basic idea of the story before going into the book, because the adaptation is kind of loose. Someone who has knowledge of the story can more easily enjoy the artwork in this book.
I dug up my old VHS copy of the movie and am planning to watch it again as well as get my hands on the actual novel. I’ll probably reread this adaptation again after that and see if my opinion changed at all.