A Simple Wish

Okay, 20 years on and a few of the special effects look a little clunky, but overall this is a well produced and good looking movie. You have to remind yourself that this is a children's film and forgive it a few things. Kathleen Turner is great value although underused, Martin short for me pushes his character just a little too far, you can kind of understand it, the idea of having a male fairy godmother is a good one. This certainly made me chuckle a few times and the Nebraska scene is hilarious. All in all, a very solid children's movie.

This was a fun film, and part of what made the film amusing was that the actors/actresses really seemed to be enjoying themselves. The story is cute, about a bumbling male fairy godmother (Martin Short) who screws up a wish to the first child under his care and has to help set things straight by rescuing magic wands from a former fairy godmother turned witch (Kathleen Turner) and her dog turned human, Boots (the great Amanda Plummer). It's a very original idea, which is rare amongst family films these days which all seem to be remakes or rehashed films. The only real downside to this film (keeping in mind, of course, that it is aimed towards kids) is that some of the dialogue is *really* cheezy and unbelievable (The 10 year-old I was watching over while watching this film kept said 'gimme a break' and 'yeah, right' at a couple of points in the film...and it's one of her favs;) The effects were fun, Martin Short was funny (most of the time...he tends to overdo it at certain moments) and Amanda Plummer really shines..all in all, a good film to watch with one's children. 7/10.

Anabel's father is a New York horse-drawn carriage driver but hopes to become a Broadway star. With his next audition he is ready to throw it all in and go work in his cousin's rendering plant on Nebraska. Anabel wishes for her fairy godmother to help them but, because the majority of them are tied up at the annual conference she has to make do with the failing trainee Murray. She quickly finds that Murray is not quite as good as he has told her and most of their time is spent trying to correct his mistakes. Things are more complicated when they are pursued by witch Claudia, who has trapped all the other godmothers and only needs Murray's wand to finalise her attempts at total power.

Although I taped this film in error thinking it was something else, I still ended up watching it as it was a bonus family film to act as distraction. Normally I wouldn't bother with such a thing but on this occasion I did and the end product was a basic but quite entertaining film that had enough to stop it being boring for me and enough silliness and energy to make it enjoyable for children. The narrative is a bit messy, for a while it is about Murray's weakness as a Fairy Godmother but then it becomes a big finish around a plot by Claudia to get all the power for herself. The two strands don't sit well together at all, and the latter just feels like it has been added to bulk the former out and give it more impact as a dramatic finish. However, it is quite amusing along the way and children will enjoy the mix of silliness, effects and magic.

The cast are OK and are a good part of this working. Short is a bit irritating but he does overplay the silliness well enough to provide distraction. Turner seems to enjoy herself even if her role is a bit smaller than I'm sure she expected; meanwhile Plummer does her usual "slightly unhinged" thing but this time as a dog. Pastorelli has little to do but Wilson and Capra are both engaging without being like the very sickly All-American kids that US family films can be dripping with.

Overall this is a family film and therefore not the sort of thing any adult would really chose to watch alone because there isn't much just for them, even if it isn't bad as such. The energy, silliness and pace of the film will make it a winner for children and it serves well as a distraction if hardly a great film for the ages.

Okay, while the plot may not be Shakespeare, its simplicity is refreshing. Martin Short is very funny, as always, and Mara Wilson is a wonderful child actress whose acting caliber could compare to many adult actors/actresses. Kathleen Turner is delicious to watch as a bad apple witch, who's bent on revenge. Her deep yet sultry voice and beautiful looks present the perfect image of a goody-goody witch gone bad. For a simple yet smart comedy, rent this film.

8-year-old Wilson (still as sweet as when we saw her in MRS. DOUBTFIRE) wishes for her cabbie father Pastorelli to win the leading role in a Broadway adaptation of Dickens' A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and Short (still called a "fairy godmother" despite being a male) arrives to (attempt to) grant it to her. Fans of Short's comedy will get it, and even if you're not a fan of his work there are still some worthy moments; however, the story takes way too long to get going for a movie targeted at children. Capra's character also slows the movie down as Wilson's stereotypical punk older brother who's protective of his younger sister but is too cool to show it. The musical numbers in the theatre scenes are a nice touch, but it's difficult to give the movie brownie-points for it since the film itself is not a musical. Jaro Dick's set decoration and Luke Reichle's costume design is terrific. Hey! one of the Fairy Godmother's (Bunty Webb) was the 'Ay Caramba' Lady in TOMMY BOY!

** (out of four)