KEY POINTS:
This is a little darling of a film. It's a simple, beautifully told story of family, friendship and the power of words that should keep fans of the beloved book by E. B. White happy. It should also gain the book a few new fans.
Apart from the addition of a character or two and a slightly amended beginning, Charlotte's Web the film thankfully sticks closely to the book.
Child star extraordinaire Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds) is Fern, a young girl living on a farm in New England who saves a runt piglet she calls Wilbur from the axe, and finds him a home across the road in her uncle's barn.
The barn is already home to a couple of snobbish cows, snooty sheep, bickering geese, work horses, and a scavenging rat, none of whom are very welcoming to Wilbur.
Charlotte, a spider who also lives in the barn, and is largely ignored by the farm animals, befriends Wilbur who is delighted to have a friend, even if she isn't terribly attractive.
When Wilbur discovers he's on the menu for Christmas, Charlotte makes a promise to Wilbur that he will live to see the snow that winter. Charlotte comes up with the idea of communicating to Fern's family what a special little pig Wilbur is by writing words in her web, but the key is to find the right word that that will have the power to work a miracle for Wilbur.
The computer animation in the film creates an effect similar to the Australian film Babe, where they use live animals and then animate them so they look like they are talking. It works brilliantly - the special effects fit seamlessly within the picture without distracting you from the story.
The film is let down by some average voice work. Julia Roberts sounds like she is reading a book to her kids (at least she manages a maternal edge), and Robert Redford is plain dull as the arachnophobic horse Ike.
John Cleese, on the other hand, appears more than comfortable being a poncey sheep, and Steve Buscemi shows them all how it's done by bringing the character of Templeton, the sardonic barn rat, truly alive.
Director Gary Winick (13 Going on 30) does a great job of allowing this story of loyalty, trust and sacrifice to unfold simply and in its own time. The pace is a little slow and ponderous at times, and although it may challenge younger children's attention spans, it's still an enchanting story that should captivate the whole family.
Cast: Dakota Fanning
Voices: Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi
Director: Gary Winick
Running Time: 97 mins
Rating: G
Screening: SkyCity, Hoyts and Berkeley cinemas
Verdict: An understated and enchanting film.
