Casper (1995)

Casper -

Ordered for my granddaughter and had it shipped to her in Avondale, AZ. Everything was fine. October 24, 2008

Family Friendly... Not for the younger ones

Within the first 5 mins. you hear "h*ll" and "d@mn" from one of the characters. Not a problem unless you were hoping to show this to a 5yr old. To be fair, it is a PG film but the it would have played just fine without the language. If families were Spielberg's target audience (who else would watch this), he had to know that the language would keep younger viewers out and that older teens might not be interested in Casper. It was just strange language to hear in a film strongly promoted as "family." If you read the other reviews, you will see others noting this.

Got to go now to watch Bambi's mother get wacked in a G-rated film (got to love the rating system). :-) October 12, 2008

Good for Kids, Move Along Adults

Casper
Many people have asked me when I was going to kick off the Halloween Season recently, and now I have. Casper is a child-friendly ghost story that is based off an old cartoon series. Considering this film was made in 1995, Casper has held up very well. If you are looking for a fun movie for your children to watch, you might want to check out Casper. If you are an adult, avoid this at all costs.

The story is very light hearted. Carrigan, a greedy woman, has just inherited a haunted Manor. There are three threatening ghosts: Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso. There is also a friendly ghost, Casper. Carrigan knows of a treasure somewhere in the manor, but needs to get the ghosts out of way to get to it. After many other choices, she settles with Dr. Harvey. Harvey and his daughter, Kat, move into the home in hopes to drive the ghosts out.

The CG used for the ghosts is phenomenal. Even in today's world, this CG stands up well to the rest. You can see through the ghosts, but at the same time they have a thickness to them. You will never complain about having a dated movie.

The relationship between Kat and Casper is the most interesting part in this movie. As an adult, the corny story telling will not keep the amused for long. Kat and Casper have a couple deep altercations. Casper asks Kat "Can I keep you," and Kat agrees. However, Casper tries to kiss Kat, but Kat only feels a chill. It is tragic.

If you are an adult Casper is worthless. If you are looking for a fun Halloween flick for your children, this is for you. There are a few derogatory words, but nothing a mature child cannot handle. Then again, Casper usually comes on television each Halloween. You might want to avoid this one on that note. October 2, 2008

Not for grown-ups. Watch the scenery.

Yet another dopey kiddie movie with almost nothing to offer the parents who have to sit in the theater because their little munchkins wanted to see this stuff. Honestly, why don't family movies aim a little higher? Pixar has proven over and over again that it's possible to make a smart, funny movie that people of all ages can enjoy. Anyway..

I do not own Casper on DVD; I saw it in the theater. I don't even remember why I went to see this; it was probably a family outing, but I might have gone because I'm a fan of animation. Bleh. The ghosts looked lame, the story was full of holes, the characters were shallow & two-dimensional, the acting was mediocre. The only reason I'm even reviewing this turkey is because of the set design.

That's right, I said set design. I was way more excited by the Casper _house_ than by the foolery that was taking place in it. The sets were heavily inspired by the work of late-1800s Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (the organic, spirally ceiling in the girl's bedroom is a direct quote from an apartment building in Barcelona.) I thought initially the Gaudi references were just a fluke, that they accidentally used his style as a single piece in what was going to be an incoherent Art Nouveau collage ... but every interior shot, every new area of the house looked like a fanciful (but faithful) interpretation of Gaudi's style (except the basement, which didn't match at all.) I was amazed that somebody took the effort to reference a particular architect and maintain a plausible pastiche of his style throughout. I had never really paid a lot of attention to movie set design before, but this show was so forgettable that I found it easy to look at the backdrops instead. Also helps that I knew about Gaudi and was an admirer of his idiosyncratic work long before seeing the movie.

Casper's set designer gets five stars, but this lame movie only deserves two. Highly recommended as a visual reference for eccentric Art Nouveau interior design. September 25, 2008

Casper, The Family Friendly GHOST

That one reviewer who complained about using the "B" word failed to explain it was in reference to a dog, which even Jim Carrey used in comic style refer to woman in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, when he claimed he was refering to her dog instead. Very funny how the word is family friendly in that context.
I like this movie, and yes, I am partial since I once dressed as Casper for halloween when Collegeville costumes were all the rage. This movie adaption did not disappoint. The effects of the ghosts are better than average for the comical angle, and the movie tone never lets up. Glad so many other people are interested in it also. Happy Halloween! September 22, 2008

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