Life of Pi
Movie reviewed by Mahitha, 8A
Name: Life of Pi
Genre: Fantasy and adventure.
Directed by: Ang Lee
Reviewed by: Mahitha
Star rating: 4/5

Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ is completely a family entertainer which is mainly composed on adventure and fantasy. The movie is based on the novel; which was also named ‘Life of Pi’ written by Yann Martel.

The story revolves around a young boy named Piscine, rather known as Pi. Pi’s parents decided to sell their zoo and moved to Canada, taking a couple of valuable animals with them. On their ship journey to Canada a deadly storm occurs and kills everybody leaving Pi and a few animals alive. Pi and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, managed to climb a lifeboat nearby. Now Pi and Richard Parker has to learn to live together in a lifeboat which is interesting to see in the movie.

Piscine Molitor Patel, known as Pi, is the narrator of the whole story. In the movie there were three people who acted as Pi. One is when Pi when he was small.

The next Pi was Suraj Sharma, who played the lead character in the movie as a teenager. The third Pi was Irfan Khan, who was narrating what happened during Pi’s remarkable 227 days in in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger.

Richard Parker is a three-year old Bengal tiger who is Pi’s only companion in the ocean. In this movie there were several other characters followed by Pi and Richard Parker, they were: Santosh Patel- Pi’s father who directed the Pondicherry zoo; Gita Patel- Pi’s mother; Ravi Patel- Pi’s older brother. Santosh, Gita and Ravi Patel died during the shipwreck, leaving Pi alone.

The 3 dimensional picturisation makes the movie all the more appealing. I love the use of 3D in The Life of Pi. In a few scenes- like in one of the islands, the graphics were made so beautiful that the audience could feel the reality  of the motion picture. Although in most of the shots the footage of the tiger was of course CGI, four real tigers are seen in some shots. Suraj Sharma contributes a remarkable performance by being brave while acting with the real tiger.

The movie turns out to be outstanding in Ang Lee’s direction, with mesmerizing graphic effects, camera angles were perfect in a few scenes, and the fight scenes were outstanding. I think Life of Pi is one of the best movies I ever watched, as it is a fine blend of philosophy and fantasy.

Mahitha is a student of grade 8A who enjoys reading and paper quilling.