Youngsters Youngsters Going at It Again Popping Shots
7/10
There's something enormously touching about this film and the way it deals with losses -- Pullman's wife and Casper's mother, in particular. And what's so clever about it is how it uses them as a tool of audience manipulation AND has the evil ghosts use Pullman in exactly the same way that we're being used. This is a smartly written screenplay. The story itself is pretty conventional and predictable: the loner girl gets teased by a popular girl (that nobody really likes) who's out to destroy her; the popular girl has a cute boyfriend that the loner girl has the hots for, etc. etc., story will resolve itself with everyone falling in love with loner girl.
I can't quite understand why this movie has such a low rating. The only explanation I can think of is that people prefer emotionally "safe" movies like "Toy Story" (of the same year) that are equally brilliant technically (and have as many references), but don't sacrifice coolness by showing sentimental, sad emotion. It's possible that the movie got marketed incorrectly. The film isn't about spooks; like one of those early, wonderful Tim Burton fantasies (this film also shares with them an outstanding score), the film deals -- quite movingly, I think -- with regaining that lost sense of childhood: that moment where Casper tries to remember being alive is just wrenching. And the scene relates just as profoundly to us: just as he can't remember being alive, we can't, really, remember being kids. I was ten when I first saw this, and it had an effect on me then (Ricci's description of sunny side-up eggs making her gag subconsciously made me avoid anything less than hard boiled for ten years); this is something that I really cherish as being part of my young emotional and visual education, and it stands up today.
I haven't seen the director's other films, so I have no idea whether this whole thing was a fluke or whether everything just settled in to my particular sensibility, but even outside of the emotion I think the technical aspects, the giant basement set, are enough to keep interest. And even outside of that, the acting is terrific. Cathy Moriarty is an absolute riot. 7/10
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An all-time family favorite that's very touching!
Ever since i was six years of age, I've enjoyed this movie. It makes me laugh, cry, and excited! i am disappointed that so many people don't like this movie. it is an all-time favorite of mine. It is sad yes, but it has comic relief from the three uncles that try to be humanlike, Casper, the friendly ghost that knows what it is like to be lonely, for instance me, and same with Kat. I am very touched with this film, for it makes me think about me, lonely and depressed, but it has a positive ending which I really adored! i also liked the amazing effects, that were famous at its, time. Of course now, effects from movies are like The Matrix films and LOTR, but i mainly like this film, because it tocuhes my heart in a both sad and sometimes happy, knowing, someone else is out there for you, even if you are a bit...dead. 10/10
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For adults too!
Being 'middle-aged', I suppose I was not the target audience for this movie, but I love it very much anyway. Kiddies aside, this movie is hysterical, well-acted, and touching too. The effects are great and, to be honest, I can't find a lot to critcize here, which for me is all I can ask of a movie.
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Casper
Warning: Spoilers
I recall this film popping out of nowhere really, saw a trailer for it out of the blue, liked the look of it and went to see it. The creepy Addams Family visuals along with some really sweet looking effects hooked me and overall I really enjoyed this little kiddie flick.
The plot is a simple Scooby Doo type affair really. There's a big old spooky mansion where Casper and his three uncle ghosts reside. An evil tyrannical female inherits the mansion and wants to find the treasure hidden within its bowels (then tear it down), problem is the ghosts. So she hires Bill Pullman (a paranormal therapist) and his daughter Ricci to get rid of the spooks.
This being a kids flick its very predictable so I needn't tell you how things unfold. What I will say is the film is a highly enjoyable ghostie adventure with some really nice looking cobweb ridden sets, charming locations, quirky humour, acceptable performances and great CGI amazingly.
The ghost effects on Casper are really nice and hold up well today. He's easily the best of the bunch visually, he looks quite realistic actually. The three naughty uncles are slightly more cartoonish looking and act so. The jokes and slapstick from them is very childish, you can see the one liners and sight gags coming a mile off but that's expected. Other ghosts that materialise during the film also look more like cartoons and not as effective as Casper, not too sure why Pullman's wife appears as a proper human though when all the others are CGI, emotional moment I guess.
The other thing that impresses is how well the actors interact with the CGI spooks, believe it or not but they do look in all the right places and at the right times. You'd half expect this film to have hokey effects and badly directed live action but its really good all the way through. There are some unnecessary quickfire cameos that's for sure, the only clever one was seeing Dan Aykroyd turn up as 'Ray Stantz', I liked that.
Hot on the heels of a certain Charles Addams creation Ricci follows on with her adopted kooky persona with this halloween caper, and its suits her perfectly. Pullman is a blundering but lovable father to Ricci's character whilst Casper is voiced nicely and acted well by a young Devon Sawa in human form. The only let down is the rather lame villainess and her henchman played by Eric Idle who didn't really need to be here.
At times this film is actually very sweet and can bring a lump to your throat, it has that sickly sentimental touch, especially during the finale. But overall this is a great fun film if you enjoy light-hearted supernatural silliness. To sum up it isn't too far from a kids version of 'Beetlejuice' or 'High Spirits' and much better than the Eddie Murphy vehicle 'The Haunted Mansion'.
7/10
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Since when did Casper become romantic?
Casper, the friendly ghost, is now in computer form! :D I have to admit, when I became a teenager, I doubted this movie just to be kinda cool and not enjoy a kid's movie. But I babysit often, and my cousins wanted to watch this again, so I slipped it in. You know what? I enjoyed it and I think I'm willing to admit that I liked it.
I love this family movie because it has not only kid humor, but adult humor as well. Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman were great and it was fun to watch their first time reactions moving into the house with the evil uncles that are "disgusting and obnoxious creeps". I love their response to that "Thank you!". Casper is just a polite ghost who wants to have friends and be human again. When he discovers that his father invented a machine to make ghosts humans again, he and Christina find the only potion left that's enough for him to become human. Of course, we have our villains who want a "hidden treasure" in the mansion and set up Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci in the house to get to it. They figure the best way is to have one of them die and be able to just go through the safe. Of course, they must come back human and the only way is the potion that's enough for one person. We have another problem of the uncle's taking Bill on a drinking trip to make him one of their own to "see" his deceased wife.
There is a very touching ending and I would always recommend this for a family watch. It's a cute movie with some fun jokes and cool effects. So, I am actually going to admit that I had fun and am going to give a good rating.
7/10
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A winner of a family film- Casper is so cute!
I really liked this movie, I seriously don't get the low rating. It is a most enjoyable family film, that is really sweet. My only complaints are one or two dull spots in the script and plot(primarily in the middle) and I didn't feel as though the direction was as good as it could have been. The special effects however are simply wonderful, and the sets are suitably dark and Gothic. But what made this movie for me was Casper, forgive me but he is so cute. The whole movie is well worth seeing just for him, but there are many other good things about this film too. The dance sequence especially is delightful.
The music by the ever reliable James Horner is lovely, and the performances are very good. Christina Ricci matches Casper beautifully in a delightfully sweet central performance, and while Bill Pullman has been better he gives an appealing performance. Eric Idle is hilarious when he is given good material, and on the whole that's what he had. Although his dialogue wasn't always as funny as it could have been, he was still entertaining. But it is Stretch, Stinkie and Fatso who provide the most laughs. It is Cathy Moriaty though who comes close to stealing the show, with a brilliantly wacky portrayal as the villain of the piece. The script is funny and touching on the most part despite the one or two dull spots in the middling half.
Overall, a winning family film. Not perfect by all means, but underrated you bet it is. At the end of the day, it's Casper's picture. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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Fun, silly ghost flick with Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci and Cathy Moriarty
A ghost-whispering paranormal expert and his daughter (Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci) move into a dilapidated mansion on the coast of Maine that's haunted by a friendly ghost and three mischievous ones. Cathy Moriarty plays the venal heir of the mansion and Eric Idle her assistant.
"Casper" (1995) delivers the goods if you're in the mood for a "spooktacular" Goosebumps-like horror film that's fun & silly and not scary at all. It's like Scooby-Doo but without the dog and the teens are tweens. "Monster Night" (2006) and "Ghostbusters" (1984) are other reference points, but I prefer "Monster Night," which has a similar plot, but is all-around more entertaining (even though it cost significantly less) and has a superior assortment of good-lookin' women, young and older. With "Caspar" there's Moriarty, but she plays the biyatch antagonist. There's also ricci, but she was only 14 during shooting, although she's effective in the role.
The movie runs 1 hour, 40 minutes and was shot at Universals City, California, with establishing shots of Rockport, Maine.
GRADE: B-/C+
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No such thing as ghosts?
Warning: Spoilers
I remember that when I watched 'Casper'in the movie theater I liked the story very much. Now,10 years later, I still enjoy this movie very much.
Carrigan is an ambitious and evil woman, and when her father dies, all she wants is her father's money,but the only thing she inherits is a big and old mansion. Angry, she throws her father's will in the fire, until she realizes that the will has tips to go into a hidden treasure. The problem is that the mansion is damned and full of ghosts. She contacts Dr.James Harvey,(Bill Pullman) a paranormal expert and a type of a''ghosts' Shrink'' to take the ghosts away from her mansion. James and his daughter Kat(Christina Ricci) stay living in the mansion, while Dr. James tries to have success in his work. Strech,Fatso and Stinkie are Casper's uncles and they are not friendly at all; they love to scare people and to treat Casper very badly. Kat an Casper becomes friends, since friendship is what they were searching the most . Casper tells Kat about how he died and she tells him about her mother, that also died and is one of the reasons why her father become a ghost's shrink. We also see that Kat hates to travel all the country because of her father's job and how she is far away from being one of the ''popular girls''.
One of the sweetest and cutest moments of this movie, is when Casper becomes a human and dances with Kat. It's sad and also very romantic. Sadly, Devon Sawa, the actor who played the human Casper doesn't look like that anymore.
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A Cute Film
I found Casper to be quite entertaining. It's a great film for the entire family and a good one to watch around Halloween. The story is quite sad yet very funny and the special effects are superb. To summon up this film, I would say "young love at it's finest".
This movie brings to my mind thoughts of "if I could talk to a loved one who is dead" and/or "if I could meet someone that is dead". The curiosity of meeting someone from another time period even if they are dead (a ghost) came to my mind while watching this film. Thoughts of talking to dead family members also weighed on my mind as the film progressed.
8/10
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Great Movie With Various Perspectives
After reading the comments, I see most people enjoy this movie with a few picking it over nothing (e.g. not an accurate portrait of ghost?). I first saw the movie in my preteen. It was a fun & 'cute' movie, highly entertaining with the trio & treasure hunting & stuff.
As I grew older & revisit this movie, I see more 'layers' of the movie other than a 'kiddie ghost story'. Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman, excellent as usual) is having a hard time dealing with the death of his wife, & Kat (Ricci, a great break from the cool-headed Wednesday Adams) is having a hard time adjusting her father's constant move as well as grieving her mother on her own. Then, there is Casper grieving his own death as well as his father's death. And then there is Carrigan's mourning her father... not leaving her all the riches. Then there is Casper's heroic act (go see the movie, it's one of the most touching moment), Dr. Harvey's reunion, etc. etc.
From a child's point of view, it's pure entertainment. From an art lover's point of view, you have to awe at the special effect & sets. From an audience seeking emotional outlet, well, bring in an extra box of kleenex. It's a very touching, warm-hearted, humorous, sweet little movie about a friendly ghost named Casper.
Just a side note, it is quite interesting to watch Addams' Family & Casper & Sleepy Hollow & see Christina Ricci grow from the eccentric Wednesday Addams to a regular teenager Kat Harvey to a beautiful young lady Katrina Van Tessel.
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Perfect family entertainment
I'll admit right from the off I'd never heard of 'Casper The Friendly Ghost' until 1993 when I went to my local multiplex to see the Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood movie 'A Perfect World' in which a child steals a Halloween costume. So I didn't know much going into this movie. I believe this is the first feature film with a computer-animated title character, and for me the effects are outstanding.
Eric Idle and Cathy Moriarity are splendidly devious, if under used, whilst fresh from pairing with Sandra bullock in 'While You Were Sleeping' Bill Pullman is a lot of fun as the Dad.
As for Christina Ricci, following on from her awesome performances in the Addams Family movies, it was around this time I thought, she had the potential to be a good Demi Moore type actress, once she grew up. Things haven't quite panned out that way, but she is still a working actress. Coincidently she would costar with Moore in 'Now & Then' the same year, but she was not playing a younger Moore, as I expected, but a younger version of Rosie O Donnell. Poor casting in my eyes.
There are some nice cameos from Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson Rodney Dangerfield, but it's the appearance of Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz (from Ghostbusters (1984)) who runs out of the house frantically and says, "Who you gonna call? Someone else!" That brought the biggest smile to my face.
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I enjoyed this as a kid
Warning: Spoilers
Casper is a 1995 film that stars Bill Pullman from While You Were Sleeping,Christina Ricci from Penellope and Brad Garrett who voices Fatso in this movie. The movie tells the story of Casper a friendly boy who happens to be a ghost. Kat Harvey(Ricci)and her dad Dr James Harvey(Pullman) (who is a ghost hunter btw)move to another city and land in a house that was once owned by a young boy who use to live there.But what Kat and her dad don't know is that Casper and his uncles Stretch,Fatso and Stinkie are still living in the house. Of course the reason why Dr Harvey moves is because these people(who were going to live in this house that they moved in,is haunted so he stays there with his daughter).Also Dr James Harvey lost his wife so he raises Kat by himself.
So when Kat one day is packing her bags in her room,Casper shows up and she freaks out that she can see him. Kat of course has to start school and she gets bullied by this girl who wants to have a Halloween party. But when Kat mentions that she lives in a haunted house,the kids want Kat to have her party in her place. But the girl who bullies her sets up some guy to go with her as a date where she has her party. Of course Casper later falls for Kat and his afraid to admit it since Casper is dead and can't come back to life. So he tells Kat later on in the film that there is a machine that his deceased dad worked on that can bring people back to life again.
So will Casper become a human and be with Kat?
Well overall I liked this film as a kid and I found it to be a truly heartwarming story. The charcthers are cute and I like the chemistry between Ricci and the guy that voices Casper. Also I like how Casper wishes to be human for one night and Ricci's charcthers mom shows up and makes his wish come true. So he becomes a human for the night to be Kat's date. I found it cute.
Overall like I said I liked this movie as a kid and I still do.
6/10
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A delight for children and adults who can find the inner-child in them.
Warning: Spoilers
Taking the classic comic book and cartoon onto the big screen, this version of the story of the friendly ghost gives the viewer an inside look as to who Casper really was and his life before and after becoming the sweet spirit. Fresh from her star-making role of Wednesday Addams, Christina Ricci is perfect to play the poor child who is initially scared of him but soon wants to help the spirit of the child find out the truths. Her father Bill Pullman also gets involved as do the sinister Eric Idle and Cathy Moriarty as the agent and owner of the house who hire Pullman to get rid of the spooks which includes more than just Casper. Moriarty is particularly entertaining as one of the most outrageous of greedy characters, and her shrieking (which made her the scene stealer of "Soap Dish") takes over here as well to make her unforgettably funny.
There are some delightful surprises in this mostly sweet-natured tale of the tying together of two different generations of children, one live, the other dead, the greed of adults, and the Peter Pan like belief in a world beyond our grasp. Try not to feel tears of joy and nostalgia when Casper takes Ricci on the train ride to his long hidden bedroom and is later allowed to face the truth of why he is who he is. Ricci and Pullman too also face the loss of their mother and wife, although one of Casper's prankster uncle ghosts also gets in the way comically. This is a family film that proves to be innocent yet never juvenile and cloying.
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Seeing it is BOOlieving it!
Who says there are no such things as ghosts? Not if there is the ghostly inhabitants of Whipstaff Manor in Friendship, Maine! This desolate mansion is then, in the words of one of the members of the Ghostly Trio of Whipstaff, 'intruded' by Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and her eccentric father Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a ghost therapist. Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) had hired Dr. Harvey to exorcise the ghosts, including Casper the friendly ghost and his three obnoxious uncles, Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie, aspiring to gain Whipstaff's 'buried gold'.
Intertwining humour, all-time fun and a modern Cinderella story, 'Casper' promises to please as a movie which is compelling, hilarious, captivating, heart-warming, witty and above all, truly 'fleshtastic'.
'Casper' is recommended for any audience, regardless of age. At the time I am submitting this review I am currently 17, turning 18, but 'Casper' still manages to appear endearing and ultimately special. The magic of Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci as well as that of director Brad Silberling, executive producer Steven Spielberg, and other producers weaves between each and every scene to eventually lift us off our feet. Above all, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! Casper is my all time favourite character. Truly fantastic. You won't BOOlieve it until you see it.
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A Great Film
Casper is such a wonderful film. Beautifully shot, an overall great cast and storyline. It has laughter, dark humor, heartache and love mixed in.
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CASPER Great ...
This 1995 CASPER movie gave the character a depth that the cartoons and comic books of my childhood never had making it indeed a most enjoyable family film. The production crew of CASPER should indeed be in charge of the upcoming Captain Marvel/Shazam movie as they'd probably do it as a great tribute to the classic comic book character and not a high tech overly-dramatic misinterpretation of the classic Captain Marvel.
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often beautiful, often creepy, mostly wonderful, but . . .
I don't view films as if I'm watching them as the intended audience; I watch them for myself. And that's why I found it odd at how engrossed I was when I watched this film for the first time at the age of eighteen. Aside from the great gothic flair of the mansion, two superbly placed cameos, and nice laughable black humour from the "trio," the film took off because of its emotional core. It's something that a youngster can really get into, but also anyone who finds it sad that a child can die. When Casper plays with his toys, I just wanted to start crying. This eternal child--lost and stuck in an age of mystery and wonder. And yet, he's smitten with a girl--he's starting to go through puberty. And it's just so sad . . . and beautiful.
And then there's the father, and his sway into the afterlife, his daughter's plight, her struggle with her wish to help Casper. It's all so simple and written for kids, but I was so engrossed by the romanticism of it all.
The villains mostly butt into the greatness of all of it, but you just have to grant that in a kid's picture. And now comes my but . . . in the end, when the mother does appear, she's supposed to be this amazing, angelic, deux es machinal, she floats through the stain glass window, her long hair flows around her, her gown flows all around her but--what the hell! why is her dress such a deep red!? she looks like satan! Oh well. Bad costume choice made a really bad moment. But mostly, I loved this film for it's good parts, despite the childishness of much of it.
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mostly a harmless kids movie
Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) is angry that her father left her only a rundown mansion. Her sniveling lawyer Paul Plutzker (Eric Idle) finds out that it has buried pirate gold. The house is haunted by Casper the friendly ghost and his not-so-friendly uncles; Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie. Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) became a therapist to the dead after the heartbreaking death of his wife and brings his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) to every job. Carrigan hires Harvey to get the pesky ghosts out of the way.
This is mostly a harmless kids movie. Ricci is adorable and sharp. She's the star of the movie. Bill Pullman is OK as the father. He could be more of a bumbling nerd. Moriarty is always good as a broad villain. Casper is not that bad and retains his cartoon nature. He has a great childlike persona. Although I would like the ghosts to be less transparent. The story is fine until the father dies. That's where the movie loses me a little. It's a bit too dark and serious dealing with life and death.
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Set Piece
Forget the story. Forget the characters; forget even the kids and rent this just to be able to see Whipstaff Manor.
For me a film can be rewarding if just one element (in practical terms, it has to be an element I can recognize) is best in class. Here, it is the absolutely engaging set.
At the end of the 19th century, a style of art, essentially a fad, swept over Europe: Art Nouveau. This focused on natural forms and continuous lines. Done well in drawing and sculpture, its quite charming. At the same time, there was a crisis in architecture as the first real architects sought solutions to how internal space affects the psyche. For only a decade or so, architects tried to employ art nouveau in their work.
The problem is that the two just don't naturally mix: it's as if someone tried to do a swimmingpool production of Hamlet. But two geniuses partly succeeded in a few experiments: Horta in Brussels and Gaudi in Barcelona. In their lives their experiments were rejected by the public and critics. Today, they are among only a few valued gems of modern architectural history we have.
So much for background. What we have in Whipstaff Manor is a reworking of Gaudi, with some elements of Horta in entry and staircase. This is notable for a couple reasons:
---The primary mission of a film is to convey a tone, ideally an unfamiliar one. Sometimes cinematography is the tool of reliance, sometimes costumes, sometimes surreal plot twists, rarely acting posture. Rarely, rarely is the set the star. The goal of Gaudi was to (in a very literal sense) raise spirits by the form of the space. See how you feel in the bedroom/corridor and `livingroom' spaces. The attic was done by a lesser talent and the cellar isn't part of this discussion. But the main house draws on some deeply spooky center of the mind.
---The second notable comment is the sheer difficulty of what the set designers have done. Gaudi, an absolute master, had difficulty pulling off what he did. Here, the Casperites had an even greater challenge: when I go in a space, the relationship between me and the space is intimate; just a simple dialog. But when the space is presented through a medium, the designers have to dramatically exaggerate elements so the combined effect appears `normal.' Its the same as with what actors must do as compared to ordinary people you encounter; but an environment is more complex, more multidimensional, less semiotically loaded than a person. Mastering this greater palette of form is remarkable, and that's before you even accommodate the physical needs of production (camera placement, sound wiring...)
Check this out; it's interesting. Just based on the set, I place this in my best films list.
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Maybe there will always be the issue of life and death.
On one level, maybe "Casper" is just a kids' movie. But it does bring up the question of how we deal with our own mortality. The plot involves unctuous Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) and her crony Dibbs (Eric Idle) inheriting an abandoned mansion in Maine, only to find out that it's inhabited by people-hating ghosts. After a few failed attempts to get rid of these spirits, they hire Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman), who claims that he can communicate with the dead. When he and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) move in, they have a few unpleasant encounters with the ghosts, but settle down. Thus arises the issue of how to cohabit with specters and also please Crittenden.
Overall, maybe there's nothing totally special about this movie; at face value, it seems to be all about quantity and not quality. But it does have some neat lines, and prompts us to consider what will become of ourselves post mortem.
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Wonderful, Magical Children's Movie
11 November 2017. Yes, Casper could be considered a dumb movie, and yet there is something that tickles the magical and entertainment portion of one's brain. Casper, based on the cartoon, is supposed to be comical, hilarious, and juvenile. What the movie accomplishes even more so is to bring another level of emotional sensitivity and reflective sadness and depth, and redemption to what was considered a pretty childish comic series.
Somehow all the dumb prankster jokes seem to work in this movie. There is a tenderness underlying the movie along with a fascinating family theme that even includes death and the afterlife. It is both heartbreaking as well as morally uplifting. It's a wonder that today's kids can even begin to comprehend the world of real death and ethical decisions that they may be exposed to now without such mass entertainment of which Casper was one.
(May 9, 2019. James Horner's haunting musical score blends brilliantly with several important movie scenes that brings to a life and emotional intensity that rivals any musical production in most any film.}.
In sum, Casper is an educational, moral, entertaining contribution to the film industry.
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The Friendliest Ghost You Know, Plus Christina Ricci
A greedy woman inherits a mansion ("Whipstaff") from her uncle, only to find it haunted with obnoxious ghosts. She, along with her attorney (Eric Idle), hire Father Guido Sarducci and the Ghostbusters to solve the problem. No dice. Next, they turn to Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman), a psychiatrist for the "living impaired" who moves into Whipstaff with his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci). As Harvey confronts the ghosts, Kat forms a friendship with the one friendly spirit in the house: Casper.
This film is great for a number of reasons. First, the computer effects. While I am no fan of CGI, this film really pushes the boundaries for 1995 (actually looking better than many films ten years later). Next, the cast. Many notable names here and a horde of cameos (Rodney Dangerfield, Clint Eastwood and more). All of which are wonderful actors (although Cathy Moriarty, who plays the greedy woman, has been called a "poor woman's Cruella deVille" and I think this is fair -- she is the weak point of the cast). And the pop culture jokes seal the deal, with even "Apocalypse Now" getting lampooned.
I am left to wonder if this film was not inspired, at least in part, by William Castle's 1960 film "13 Ghosts". There, too, we have an eccentric uncle who has invented ghost-related inventions leaving his property to his sibling's child. Both films have a hidden treasure in the mansion, sought after by a greedy attorney. And both have the family encountering obnoxious but relatively harmless ghosts. Although, it could simply be that many films have such ideas (haunted mansions with hidden treasure) and I am just making loose connections in my mind.
My friend Chelsea, who adores this film and whom I watched it with, has an infatuation with the James Horner soundtrack. It does not stand out for me and I do not think it is Horner's best work. But it is not bad, either... blending neatly into the background (which, it may be said, might make it even better... not overpowering the movie).
This film is fun for all ages. It is a kids film, but has some adult content, too. And it is one of two of the notable Christina Ricci roles as a child (the other bring Wednesday Addams), so if you share a love of Ricci with me you will need to see this film. But all in all, the reason to see this is because it is cute and endearing... brilliant in its innocence, even when it touches those adult themes (such as the death of a child). If Amblin Entertainment brought us one good film since "E.T.", this is it.
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Generally Forgettable
The animation and action are fine in this film, and Casper is cute. The problem is that the bad guys are just that. They could be going after virtually any property. They reminded me of Cruela DeVille and her minions. They feel there is a treasure in the house and will stop at nothing to get it. Of course, when you have ghosts who are tricksters and concerned about their haunting place, they are going to retaliate. There are some nice scenes where Casper makes contact with the young girl and they become friends. Eric Idle is pretty funny as always. But overall, I walked away thinking nothing special. Typical of many movies made at that time.
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so beautiful
I've owned this movie for 7 years now, but I was having a "kid" moment last night and after I watched SNL I put this on. Wow, it all came back to me how much I loved this movie.
Casper himself is played as a lot little boy, very real and unsure of himself at the age of 12. He falls in love with Kat in such an innocent way that it's touching. And when he says as she falls asleep, "Can I keep you?" I start to cry. His speech about his death would make a great short acting monolouge.
Kat is a smartass and highly intelligent, showing Christina Ricci as the funny, witty, and all-around cool actress she is. Her portrayal of Kat is reminisent of a similar movie that came earlier...Winona Rider as Lydia in "Beetlejuice" without the fascination with death.
Of course, Bill Pullman is great in whatever he does, but here you just wanna wrap the poor guy up in a hug. And his dynamic with the FANTASTIC Ghostly Trio pretty much makes most of the movie sparkle.
What could've been a sappy ending is done with such magic. A 17-year-old Devon Sawa in one of his first roles walks down the stairs and extends his hand to Kat with such perfect love and tenderness. And I cheer when the FINALLY kiss. He looks like such an angel.
All around, a great movie. Funny, romantic, the perfect blend of sappyness and sentimentality that MAKES for a tear-jerker ending. Great job!
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Best children's Halloween movie
One of many children Halloween movies . I'll recommend a ghostly comedy. Especially about a friendly ghost named CASPER and his three ghosts brothers Fatso, Stretch, Stinkie. This funniest laughter ghosts that knock your socks off. Also is a family movie night . The leading roles is well acted. Christina Ricci as her character Kate and Bill Pullman character Dr. James Harvey perfect actors. Well done.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112642/reviews-57
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