Nicholas Pickard and Christian Bale should have swapped roles

Anyone else notice that as far as the child actors in this movie go, Christian Bale seems to be the only one who takes the screenplay/dialogue seriously and actually seems full of life? They should have cast HIM as Bosse/Mio.

Who got the bright idea to put Nicholas Pickard in that role? I understand that the character is supposed to be wimpy and everything, but even after he becomes a Prince, Mio is not once a charismatic protagonist for the entirety of the film. I say this as one who watched this movie numerous times as a kid and, well, always favored Bale's performance more. And seeing as how Bale had already given a spellbinding performance in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun and also was in that Anastasia movie w/Amy Irving, surely he had more experience, too?

I'm sorry, but Nicholas Pickard is just mediocre in this movie. His acting is bland from beginning to end. I could easily have bought him as Jum-Jum, I guess... but not Mio. That role should have gone to Bale.

Off-topic: Christopher Lee and Susanna York are great as always. But Timothy Bottoms looks like a total fish out of water in this movie.

"What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter."