This YA novel adaptation is essentially an unashamed two-for-the-price-of-one Hogwarts at which young good and evil future fairy tale students are trained to maintain the balance of those forces; two village friends are transported to the titular academy but separated into (seemingly) the wrong factions and the battle to define what is good/evil commences as well as a battle against an emerging ancient enemy. Ultimately, the film is a somewhat charmless and strained affair, with performances pitched at the hysterically arch level that is wearing over the film's ridiculously long run-time. Fantasy/fairy tale references are stuffed in at every opportunity, the puberty/sexual metaphors are blunt, and for a female-led-and-targeted film the gender stereotyping is jaw-dropping. Not even Charlize Theron and Michelle Yeoh save this one, which might appeal to very young girls but will prove quite a chore to anyone else.
