Conference bookie::movies

115.0. "The Adventures of Huck Finn" by 3600::LAVEY (Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive) Fri Apr 02 1993 19:56

    I had the good fortune to attend a sneak preview of Disney's latest
    release, _The Adventures of Huck Finn_, last Saturday.  (Insert due
    credit/advertising plug here -- the sneak preview was free, courtesy of
    WBOS, 92.9 FM, Brookline/Boston, and the Chestnut Hill General Cinema.)

    Executive summary: I liked it.  The plot held together well, the
    performances were good, the scenery and period details were terrific. 
    Good stuff.  I don't think it's in the same class as _Aladdin_ or _The
    Little Mermaid_, but then it's not animated either.  At the moment I
    can't think of a live-action Disney film to compare it with.  This
    one's not outstanding, but it's a good solid flick.

    The story... well, the story is based on Mark Twain's novel, of course.
    Our hero Huck Finn boards a raft to head down the Mississip, for the
    twofold purpose of hiding from his pap, who's back in town and looking
    for trouble, and helping his friend Jim, a runaway slave, who wants to
    escape to free territory.  They experience miscellaneous adventures
    along the way.

    My review outline has a line right about here to talk about "adherence
    to letter and spirit of novel."  I'll sort of skim over this part,
    mostly on account of the last time I read the book was, umm, a long
    time ago.  I think the film is true to the book, although I suspect
    there are quite a few bits left out.  What I remember of the book is
    that it was a little more episodic than the movie; I think the film
    holds together well, in that its plot is centered around Huck's
    involvement in Jim's escape.

    Good performances from a supporting cast which includes Jason Robards,
    Robbie Coltrane (doing a creditable American accent), Curtis Armstrong,
    and Ron Perlman.  Perlman, of "Beauty and the Beast" fame, plays a
    *very* different role for him.  His name in the credits didn't click
    right away, and I spent the first ten minutes of his on-screen time
    trying to figure out where the heck I'd seen him before.  Major shock
    when it finally dawned on me....

    Elijah Wood as Huck Finn does a great job.  For me, the very best part
    of the film was the expression on his face at the very end, as he
    contemplates his future, and makes his decision on what to do and where
    to go next.... absolutely priceless!  I may see it again just for that
    moment.

    Appropriateness for children: OK for older kids, I think.  Younger ones 
    (umm, say up to 6 or 7ish?) may have trouble staying with the story, or
    understanding some of the issues.  This isn't just an adventure --
    there's some heavy stuff in here.  Violence, slavery, murder,
    swindling, child abuse and early American frontier "justice" all show
    up, albeit in sanitized Disney fashion.  Language-wise, there are a few
    "hell"s and "damn"s tossed in, as well as Huck's favorite, "hell's
    bells, Jim!"

    If there are any flaws, I'd say that it was in the cleanup done on the
    story and on Huck's character.  He (and some of the villains as well) 
    seemed awfully clean-cut compared to what I remember of the novel.  But
    I'm willing to chalk that up to Disney-itis, and let it be.  It was
    still a fun ride.

    I'd rank _The Adventures of Huck Finn_ around two and a half to three
    stars.

    -- Cathy

    P.S. This review is unbiased by any contact or experience with
    children. :-)  Please factor that into the above opinions....

Hi Cathy!

What's it rated?  PG?

Ann 

    Umm... (attempt jump-starting brain cells :-) ) yes, I think it's PG.
    (Mail or call me if you'd like more details, Ann.)

    -- Cathy

    I saw this last night with my boyfriend, and NO ONE was in the theater
    except us!  Nashua has a movie-house that offers "wait a while"
    discounts on movies that move from the mainstream movie houses like
    General Cinema but haven't made it to video yet, and their deal is
    $3.50 anytime, day or night.  Couldn't pass up the chance to see this
    movie and I'm glad I did.  Elijah Wood was perfect as Huck Finn, and
    although this was an odd movie in a way (I didn't read the book, so I
    don't know how faithfully the movie followed Mark Twain's
    interpretation) with all the supposedly accepted child abuse, I really
    loved the scenery and the adventure part of it.  Wood is really a
    beautiful child; I saw him first in "Forever Young" and those eyes
    really stand up to the saying that eyes are the windows to the soul.
    
    Leslie