CASPER
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael John Legeros
(Uni)
Directed by Brad Silberling
Written by Sherri Stoner & Deanna Oliver
Cast Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric
Idle, and Malachi Pearson as the Voice of Casper
MPAA Rating "PG"
Running Time 100 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh (27MAY95)
==
"This sucks."
- Fatso
Skip it. The computer-generated FX are cute, but the story is all over the place. The simple, sweet premise of a very lonely ghost has been expanded to include a variety of vulgar subplots, ranging from hidden treasure to a kitchen-sink explanation of the afterlife. Groan. The result is too broad to be believable.
If the jokes were stronger (say, a la THE FLINTSTONES), we might have something here. But with the exception of a few good lines, there isn't enough to sustain adult interest. Even a half-dozen well-placed cameos don't generate the guffaws that they should. Kids won't mind, though. They'll love the eye-popping production design that looks quite ookey on the inside (and quite phony on the outside).
We all could do without the wish-fulfillment ending. The final reel is the worst, with enough ghosts, angels, and misplaced spirits to send even the lowest-level paranormal screaming from the theater. And, yes, that *is* Little Richard singing "Casper the Friendly Ghost" over the closing credits. Good golly!
BOTTOM LINE: Strictly for kids, even if the language isn't the best in places.
Grade: D+
-- Michael J. Legeros Raleigh, North Carolina
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