Review of Water for Elephants (2011) by Kiki — 27 Apr 2011

Water for Elephants.

Average User Score: 7.9 User Score 10 Don't bother seeing this film, unless you enjoy formulaic plot lines, shallow, 2-D characters, hackneyed good vs. evil, and the ridiculous premise that a vulnerable woman has no agency and needs a man to rescue her from her own choices. How many times will this same plot be inflicted on viewers! The "crazy" ringmaster with his manic, bipolar persona was the only interesting character, and could have easily been deepened and explored. Furthermore, Pattinson's character's comment to Reese's character: "You're a beautiful woman. You should have a beautiful life," is only one tiny example of the tedious and superficial dialogue. This unenlightened bit also provokes this global question: Should those not so genetically blessed have an ugly life? What is the filmmaker trying to say? Hey, the elephant was likable, but the scene where the ringmaster beats her to a pulp was an incredible ask for a suspension of our disbelief. With her mass and her ability to defend herself, ringmaster guy should have emerged a bloody mess, not she. SKIP IT.