Sabrina, l'apprentie sorcière

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, well, of course the movie is about Sabrina, a teenage girl who is sent to live with her two strange aunts. Whilst there, on her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina finds out she's a witch. At first, she doesn't know what to think, but she soon gets used to it. It's good that Melissa Joan Hart who also plays Sabrina in the TV Show, of the same name plays Sabrina here too as she really suits the role. It's a shame we don't have the likes of Jenna Leigh Green here though who played Libby Chessler for a few years on Sabrina, the TV Show, as she was really great, but fans of the show will most likely like this movie, anyway. I also think this is better then some of the other Sabrina TV movies.

I am a huge fan of the TV show, but this movie was not exactly like it. I thought that the movie would be like the beginning of the TV series, and have the same cast and set as before. It didn't.

There is no humor in this one, and the aunts seem almost spooky. They're funny in the real show, but in this movie how they shut their eyes and mumble is almost creepy. They seem pretty cool in the show, but in this, they seem hopelessly old-fashioned and eccentric. I also think that this should have had something more to do with the Other Realm and being a witch than popularity and crushes. Also, Salem's voice in this is British, and he doesn't even make one funny remark.

Even though this was far from the quality of the TV series, I am very glad that it aired. If it weren't for this, the show might not have existed! Overall, I'm glad that this movie exists, but I wish it had been like the TV show.

Released to TV in spring 1996, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" was the pilot movie for the series that ran for seven years from 1996-2003. The plot revolves around Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) having to move from Massachusetts to live with her two eccentric aunts in Rockland County, New York, where she starts attending Riverdale High, becomes besties with Marnie (Michelle Beaudoin) and contends with requisite mean girl, Katy Lemore (Lalainia Lindbjerg). After her 16th birthday, Sabrina learns she's a witch and grapples with the morality of having powers other mortals don't.

The tone of the production is decidedly pedestrian in a mid-90's TV manner, but the cast brightens things up with their energy and a decent script. (It was amusing to learn why Salem can talk and other cats can't). I've probably watched a dozen episodes of the subsequent series and the main draw was always Melissa's winsomeness. She was 19 years-old when this pilot was shot and just got more beautiful over the course of the series. For those interested, Ryan Reynolds has a significant role; he was 18-19 during filming.

The movie runs 1 hour, 31 minutes and was shot in British Columbia with some establishing shots done in Brookline, Massachusetts (or so IMDb says).

GRADE: B-

Sixteen year old Sabrina Sawyer (Melissa Joan Hart) moves in with her aunts Hilda (Sherry Miller) and Zelda (Charlene Fernetz) in Riverdale. After three months, her inner witch abilities are starting to show. Marnie Littlefield (Michelle Beaudoin) is her best friend at school. They have a crush on hot jock Seth (Ryan Reynolds). Harvey has a secret crash on Sabrina. Katy Lemore spices up her love life by breaking up with Seth. On her birthday, Sabrina is given her spell book and then their cat Salem starts talking. She tries to win Seth with witchcraft but it requires love with a pure heart from Seth or else she'll be turned into a witch's familiar.

It's fine as a teen romance. Harvey could be played by an actor with a bit more charm. The rest of the cast is fine. This is for the TV show's fans and also anybody who wants to see Ryan Reynolds in his 80s fluffy golden blonde hair. It's a low level family-friendly fun time and not anything more.

This may have not been the greatest show ever on television, but it wasn't the worst either. The funniest character was probably the cat, but everyone played a good part. So, although it was lame at times, it was OK if nothing else was on.