Digger

I rented "Digger" not expecting much more than an eighty-minute kiddie flick with a few corny one-liners and maybe a nice, little story hidden somewhere deep in there. I was pleasantly surprised when, as soon as the credits rolled, I found myself crying over this thing! It was amazing! Sure, it does fall prey to a lot of the same-o-same-o kiddie flick conventions, but the over-all effect of the story I found to be overwhelming. (NOTE: This could just be because I'm partial to buddy films.)

Adam Hann-Byrd is often staring off into space, but at least with this character that doesn't seem to hurt much. (Maybe he was even doing it on purpose. Who knows?) Joshua Jackson showed an amazing ammount of range compared to some of the more smart-mouthed roles he's conformed to nowadays. Still, my one problem with the cast is the almost non-appearance of Leslie Neilsen. He's such a great dramatic actor (despite all that slapstick mess) and this could have been the role of the decade for him. Oh, well. Maybe in "Digger 2", huh?

"Digger" is not the best movie on earth, but it does deserve a look if you're into the family-tearjerker-buddy film genre. Not bad at all, guys.

"Digger" is a hauntingly beautiful film, with subtle magic in it. The musical score is gorgeous, and the visuals will help you remember what a mysterious, exotic world our planet is. Joshua Jackson gives the best performance by a young actor in the 1990s, in his portrayal of Billy, a young mage who befriends the lonely title character (Adam Hann-Byrd).

This is a movie that gets better with repeated viewings. The only other film of its kind that has similar power is 1995's "The Cure".