The result is subs that come and go as characters speak. They sometimes appear in different places on the screen, most strikingly when a character is hurled across a kitchen and his shouts of "No!" and "Stop!" explode across the screen like impact marks in a comic book. The words of a curse appear in red and disappear in puffs of digital mist. A computer's output types itself across the screen with a blinking cursor. Some of these stunts work, and some don't, and they may only make sense because this is a fantasy film. But one place that everyone could learn something is in the timing of the subtitles, because it's perfect. Jokes are set up so that the punchline doesn't appear full minutes before it's delivered onscreen. If a character pauses, the subtitles pause. If a different character starts talking the subtitles for the now-silent character go away.

The result of all this? Although the occasional sub stunt is too conspicuous, for the most part the subtitles disappeared completely giving the illusion that you were hearing the characters talk in their natural voices. And that's the goal of subtitles.