The Borrowers

I was charmed by this movie and cannot understand the venom unleashed upon it by some of the other reviews. I don't have any kids, nor do I spend a whole lot of time watching movies geared towards them, but most "kiddie fare" seems so saccharine and preachy, with screeching soundtracks and day-glo color schemes all designed to work as commercials for happy meals and action figures that this one stands out because it's just plain fun. The production design and special effects are unique -- and purposefully so. Some reviews have complained that the film is not set in a readily identifiable time or place, but that's the charm; set in a kind of timeless anywhere that is both familiar and foreign, with the kind of hazy details and warm glow that suggest a fond childhood memory/fantasy. If you expect some Dizneefied, pre-fabbed, pre-digested offering that hits all of the right beats at the right moments with such predictability that you can set your watch to them, skip this. (Or watch "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," because it sure mimics the form while subverting the content.) If you want something fun and imaginative, different from the usual, give this a try. And if the kids complain that it's boring, send them to bed and watch it yourself.

When this first came out, almost a decade ago, I thought it was the best job I had seen of making miniature people look real. This showed how far technology had come in films and now, of course, we see a lot more amazing special effects.

It was fun to view how these "borrowers" moved about, using ordinary household items to propel themselves around a normal-sized house. It's all pretty ingenious.

John Goodman plays a cartoon-like role, a role that is generally funny to watch. The cast has a mixture of American and English actors, with a setting of 1940s Britain. I first saw this on VHS and then later on DVD, which was improvement not only video-wise, but audio, too, as it somehow went from mono to surround sound. This might be considered a kids movie but a lot of the humor is more adult-oriented.

This movie still stands up the test of time as a feel good silly children's film for ages 8-14. I still recall this film now that I'm in my early 30's. While a child and still active in cinema and commercials, films like this and Mouse Trap always stuck out as wonderful and underrated family films. I appreciated them alot then, I appreciate them even more now.

Goodman is a genius - give it a shot.

I have to be honest, I was not looking forward to this movie. I never heard of it nor know anything about those in it, except for John Goodman. However, this selection was for my daughter and did not want to see a repeat of another cartoon-type movie. My wife and I found the movie to be good clean fun with some mild but acceptable violence and virtually no language. A good combo for a family film and for a child. My daughter said it was "good" and my wife and I thought it was cute. In this day and age, it can be hard to find good movies around. While this movie may not be a keeper in your own collection, it is worth renting. The behind-the-scenes on the DVD was good and the DVD also contained both letterboxed and Pan-and-scan versions.

I honestly don't understand all the bad reviews this show has gotten. I think it's a great flick. Their sets and props were amusing (i.e., using birthday cake candles for torches and credit cards for doors), and it was interesting to see the world from a little person's point of view. The plot was very good, as was the acting, and the Borrowers' accents just added to their charm. You really should give this film a try.