Tom and Huck

Jonathan Taylor Thomas stars as Tom Sawyer, created by literary legend Mark Twain (a writing alias). Brad Renfro plays Huck Finn, the mischievious rebel who gets Tom in trouble.

The story basically goes the same way as the book, and could have been worse. But is also could have been better. Much better.

Decent acting, some boring throw-in scenes that have nothing to do with the story and/or plot, and more flaws such as the preceding.

2.5/5 stars --

John Ulmer

Tom and Huck isn't a great movie, but it's a good way for kids to be introduced to the characters of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Although it may be a bit intense for children under six, since the plot revolves around a murderer and his plot for revenge. And even though this movie is set in the 1840s, it has a strong 90s feel to it. Whatever happened to Jonathan Taylor Thomas?

Visually, Tom and Huck is eye-pleasing, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro make a good pair as Tom and Huck. Other cast members fit their parts.

That the film did not strictly follow Mark Twain is no problem if you let the film story stand on its own. It is entertaining just for what it is.

Tom and Huck is an interesting enough film, but the transformation of Eric Schweig in his portrayal of Injun Joe compared to his characterization of Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans, is the most fascinating thing about it. In the body of his films, he seems to be able to alternate between utterly noble and utterly disgusting (e.g., Missing). Great acting.

This version of the classic novel by Mark Twain makes a nice little movie, but fails to capture the humorous spirit of the book. Many hilarious scenes are missing and the writers have taken too many liberties with the plot.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is wonderful as Tom Sawyer. Unfortunately his charm does not last until the very end of the movie, but seems to fade after a while. It might possibly have something to do with the fact, that, even though this movie is based on "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer", it's actually Huck's character that steals the whole show.

I had a bit of a problem with the way Huck Finn was portrayed in this movie. Of course Brad Renfro is a fantastic actor (his performance is probably the best thing about this film) and he manages to give Huck Finn many tragic and deep aspects. Unfortunately Mark Twain's Huck Finn is neither tragic or very deep. One can only wonder why Huck has been made the brooding hero, when it's actually Tom Sawyer, who is supposed to be the brightest star in this story.

Despite the many sugar-coated scenes and the fact that both Tom and Huck are a bit out-of-character, this movie is still something worth seeing. Injun Joe and Muff Potter are both realistic and Rachael Leigh Cook makes a brilliant and not-so-girly Becky Thatcher! The sets and wardrobe look very authentic, but they alone are not enough to bring the evergreen story wholly alive.

We all know the story. There have been some pretty good Tom Sawyer movies made. This one capitalizes on star power for an audience that probably has never heard of the principle character. Putting these motives aside, it just doesn't work the best. While Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an adequate Tom, Brad Renfro is not a very good Huck. He is too much of a pretty boy. He is much too bright, though his character tries to make him otherwise. If you've read Twain, you know that he is tremendously superstitious and has really rough edges, both mentally and physically. He is kind of whiny in this movie. Becky Thatcher looks to be about 25 years old and stands next to Tom like a giant. She pushes him around and dominates. Obviously, the director decided to make her an attractive character to young women. That's not bad, but it betrays the spirit of the period in which it was written. They should at least have looked about the same age.

There are good scenes. The graveyard scene is well done. Injun Joe is threatening and murderous. The funeral scene is a disappointment. It needed to be milked a bit. Some of the peripheral characters could have been more developed. The conclusion works OK. However, it needed a dose of truth and believability to carry it through. See it, but don't expect a lot.