Mio na Terra da Magia

As a 40 year-old man, childrens fantasy films usually aren't my first (or even second) choice of movies. I ran across this film on Disney years ago, and videotaped it. It is a good escape to childhood fantasies (especially from someone who had a rough childhood and who often wished something like this would have happened for real!) I loved the music also. If you have kids and see this one, grab it. If you had a childhood you longed to escape from, see it, too. The production values were excellent, also.

I encountered this film in a very strange way...by catching the end credits of it while switching channels. The song, "Mio My Mio" by Gemini was playing and it immediately caught my ear. It's a wonderful song and I decided that I wanted to hear it again. I rented the movie and was pleasantly surprised to find Christian Bale in one of his early roles. Being a big ABBA fan, I was even more shocked to discover that the music was written by Benny Andersson and Anders Eljas, two former ABBA orchestrators. Being a visual effects fan, I was then stunned to see that famed James Bond EFX Artist Derek Meddings was responsible for the film's optical effects. I was quite thrilled to learn of this small film with big talent involved.

Overall, the film is above average. It has some nice fantasy moments, some good effects (and some not so good). Easily though, the film is worth viewing for Christian Bale and the musical score. And now I know that while I used to sing "Mio My Mio," to be truly accurate, I need to modify that to "Mio Min Mio!"

The only "uncomfortable" factor in this film is Timothy Bottoms. His performance, credited as "The King," would be more aptly classified as "The Queen."

Now, if only there was an original soundtrack release in the United States of this film's magical score!

The 80s saw a decade of some really good fantasy films, films like NeverEnding Story, Princess Bride, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Legend. Mio in the Land of Faraway is not one of the great fantasy films from a personal standpoint(there are some great ones from other decades too), however it does deserve better recognition than it does. The script can get stilted and childish, not all the special effects are great(for example the floating head is a memorable image, but you need to decide for yourself whether it's for the right reasons) and Timothy Bottoms doesn't have that much to do. It is a very beautiful-looking film though, the photography is simple but sweeping, the costumes are appropriate and there are some special effects that are quite good. But visually it is the lighting and sets that are the real revelations. The lighting is especially good in the darker moments, with the firelight and shadows as said already there is a real sense of creepiness, and the sets are so wondrously constructed with a striking contrast of lush and elegant for Faraway, dark and eerie for the dark moments and drab for Earth. Along with the visuals, the other big standout was the music, a score that is so beautifully soothing on the ears but it also haunts the mind, as any score for a good vs. evil film should do. The story sets itself up carefully and has all the right elements for fantasy and a tale of good vs. evil. There is the bullying angle that is easy to identify with, and the film is successful in drawing the inner child within you into the world that the characters inhabit. From an archetypal view, the characters are familiar to us but they are still engaging enough. The acting is fine, Nick Pickard and particularly Christian Bale are excellent in the lead roles and while one might wish that Christopher Lee were introduced into the film earlier, considering an actor of his calibre, he is an appropriately menacing villain of the piece. To conclude, very nice film, not without areas of improvement but should be better known. Once you look past the flaws and see the many merits there are, and judge the film on its own terms rather than a book vs. film comparison it might help to enjoy it more(mind you, there is emphasis on might to save the risk of ignorance), while it does help you don't necessarily have to be somebody who grew up perceiving it as a lifelong childhood favourite to like Mio in the Land of Faraway. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I have no idea why previous comment said that this movie is bad, bad, bad... I believe it has a lot better plot then lots of late American kids movies. I absolutely love this movie. I have seen it when I was just a teenager and now I have found it again. I used to relate myself to it and imagine that the Spirit will someday come for me too... What an imaginative kid I was!!! Nowadays I have two kids myself and am sure they will enjoy watching it too.

I couldn't believe that it was so expensive to purchase since it is out of print for 5 years, but my husband had spoiled me this Christmas, after hearing my nostalgic story. :)

I loved this movie. We were lucky enough to find it years ago as a rental. This is a wonderful story about a little boy who is bullied by his peers and hated by his aunt. He is magically transported by a large head emanating from a bottle, no less, to a "land of faraway" where he discovers that he is a prince. He gets hold of a magic cape that makes him invisible along with other magical items like magical bread. He, and another child fight the dreaded evil lord who is turning the children into birds that must forever circle the castle. This is a wonderful movie that is completely overlooked. My kids loved it and so did I. (We couldn't stop laughing during the giant head part!) There are so many magical moments in this story. Don't miss it!