Sabrina Goes to Rome

I only rented "Sabrina Goes To Rome" so I could drool over EDDIE MILLS. I never really liked the show and still don't think much of Melissa Joan Hart. But the film surprised me in that I did actually enjoy it, and watched it more than once while i had it rented! Recommended for any Sabrina or EDDIE MILLS fans! (Hey eddie - call me!)

Teenage witch Sabrina Spellman (Melissa Joan Hart) is given a locket by her father to unlock in Rome in 2 weeks and save her Aunt Sophia lost for 400 years. Her talking cat Salem Saberhagen stowaway with her. She's shocked to find Gwen (Tara Strong) as her roommate. Gwen is an even worst witch. Sabrina encounters American Paul. Paul and his friend Travis start following Sabrina and witness suspicious happenings. They strike up a deal to photograph her witchcraft for $250k.

Basically, Sabrina leaves her TV show for a break in Rome. The film quality is relatively low-grade TV. At least, she actually goes to Rome and there is some travelog. The new character Gwen has an annoying squeaky voice. It's a bit pointless to have only Sabrina and Salem in a movie to accompany the TV show.

I'm a big fan of the series. I'm surprised critics say it's typical Disney Channel garbage. For me, it's Bewitched for the 90s, especially the first three seasons.

This was fun enough to watch if you like the series. Even so, it feels awkward at times to see Sabrina without her Aunts, Harvey and the rest of the normal cast.

This TV movie was broadcast on October 4, 1998 during a time when Season 3 was airing. So you can't help, but think throughout the film that Sabrina's being unfaithful to Harvey with her romantic interest in this Paul guy. It also feels like the writer's tossed her on a trip to Rome for no reason. Some connection to her regular life would have been nice. I don't recall her talk about her aunts or Harvey once in the film. It feels like a what-if scenario in a parallel universe without the film actually stating it.

I think you have to suspend-your-disbelief a little too much for the film. Even if it was a parallel universe, it makes no sense for her love interest be some guy in Rome, that she's never going to see again. I've heard of this sort of love story before…but, the chemistry between Sabrina and Paul is forced and seems unnatural.

My first time seeing this was after I'd already watched all seven seasons. The quality of the movie doesn't touch that of the season it was made for (Season 3). This definitely is a lot better then some of the later season's episodes.

If you're a big enough fan of the series you'll get some enjoyment out of this.

Sabrina goes to Rome is an all actuality a pretty good movie. I have seen it three times (whenever I have happened to catch it on the WB) but this is mostly because it brings Rome to my bedroom in nice lively colors. However if you don't mind the black+white scene Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn is the original Sabina goes to Rome and is ten times better. It has amazing acting and a fantastic storyline. It would have to for Sabrina to do a remake of it. But back to the movie, it really is good and definetely worth watching. MJH did a good job with it and the subplots really keep your attention. Again not the original but you should stop and watch it if you are ever channel surfing and see that it happens to be on. The acting is decent, the MJH outfits great as usual, and you get to visit Rome for free without even leaving your sofa!

This was a mildly enjoyable film, but nowhere near as good as the TV series from which it is derived, lacking the manic sense of humour and deranged surrealism. The film is a bit slow moving and jokes are subordinated to plot, which is unfortunate because the plot is nebulous and badly thought out. Another problem is that this is basically a sit-com character taken out of the usual situation from which the comedy derives. Sabrina the Teenage Witch is essentially a vicious and well-observed parody of banal American high-school dramas which take themselves too seriously. Without this context, there is much less scope for humour. Nevertheless, there are some very funny scenes, and at least we get to see the lovely Melissa Joan Hart against the equally lovely backdrop of Rome. Tara Charendoff is also very sexy as an English witch (with an almost convincing accent!) and you get to see her kissing a lot of pigeons (don't ask!). But has her cockney guinea pig got the worst accent since Dick Van Dyke? "Cor bloimey myte, 'e blinken well 'as". But overall a reasonable effort. "Wicked", as we supposedly say in England...