Les aventuriers du timbre perdu

My review was written in May 1988 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller" is a delightful children's fantasy which tackles the unusual screen topic of stamp collecting. The seventh entry in producer Rock Demers' "Tales for All" film series will entertain and edify smallfry and have some interest for older philatelists as well.

Writer-director Michael Rubbo has peppered the feature with concise and accurate descriptions of stamp terminology as well as collecting methods and interests. This educational material is interwoven painlessly with the fictional story.

Tommy Tricker (nicely essayed by Anthony Rogers) is a young prankster who finagles a rare stamp variety worth several hundred dollars from his friend Ralph, taken from Ralph's dad's collection. Ralph (Lucas Evans) and his sister Nancy (Jill Stanley) try to get it back from the local stamp store where Tommy sold it, but end up with a 1928 collection instead.

Inside the 1928 album they find a little boy's letter and magical rhymes to be chanted that will reduce the sende to miniature size, in order to travel around the world on the stamps on letters. A rare collection is said to await the sender at an address in Australia.

Ralph undertakes the mission and has colorful and atmospheric adventures shot on location in China and Sydney. Pic carefully demonstrates the romance of philately by using fantasy to concretely depict the sublimated travel to faraway lands.

The kids are cute and tech credits first-rate. Rubbo stages a novel and amusing foot chase in a mall midway through the film and keeps the action moving. Animated effects and rotoscoping for the process of miniaturization and return to normal size are nicely done.

Tommy Tricker & the Stamp Traveller is an original film based on a child who can travel across the world on stamps. I haven't seen it since I was younger, but I remember that I enjoyed it, although it was quite frightening. I think it is a very imaginative film. (The basic plot of the film was about this young boy who was a stamp collector, and he could travel by putting himself onto stamps with a little bit of magic.) I remember that my brothers enjoyed this film too, although there were some very frightening bits in the film, and I seem to remember that the special effects were good. (Tommy being transfered to the stamp or from the stamp.)

This was THE movie of my youth, yet none of my childhood friends have heard of it, let alone seen it. I suppose this Canadian production was released straight to video in Australia though, so probably no wonder.

The story revolves around Ralph, an avid stamp collector, and his sister Nancy, who stumble across a mysterious collection that reveals a secret method of traveling across the world on a stamp. Yes, that's right. The traveller repeats a certain chant then shrinks to a hundredth of his or her size, then literally falls into the stamp.

Ralph decides to journey to Australia in hopes of uncovering a missing stamp collection for his dad, but after a series of misadventures, is misdirected to China by the local prankster, Tommy Tricker, who wants to find the expensive collection himself. The rest of the movie relates Ralph's stay in China, and the confrontation between he and Tommy in Australia.

This is a really enjoyable film. I know it's meant for elderly children, but I think anyone below 24 would be pleasantly surprised.

Tommy Tricker reminds a bit of a more abrasive Joey Jeremiah from Degrassi High!

i saw this movie when i was very young and i remember that i enjoyed it. i don't remember very many details of the movie, but maybe this will give you an idea before you watch it. it was kind of difficult to understand what was going on in certain parts. it is often funny in a random way. the acting is kind of weird sometimes, at least that is what i though. your opinion of the movie will depend on what you are expecting out of the movie. if you are expecting great acting and an excellent storyline, you might be disappointed. as long as you begin watching it with an open mind, you should be okay. but it really is entertaining for younger viewers. that is, ones that watch more than just animated programs.

You can usually pick out the work of Rock Demers/Michael Rubbo and the French-Canadian Disney of the North (I meant that in a complimentary way). First, there are no loud, screaming car-chases or machine guns; next, the pace is slow, and the audience has to think along with the cast; third, the kids treat the adults and each other with politeness and respect.....what a novel thought!!! Probably his best effort, 6/10+.