Review of MouseHunt (1997) by Noah Abraham G — 25 Jul 2013

Some movies stay with you forever. But sometimes there are movies that exist solely to kill time in the most entertaining way possible. And there's nothing wrong with that! "Mouse Hunt" isn't a classic, but it's a fun family film that both kids and adults will enjoy.

Nathan Lane and Lee Evans play the Smuntz brothers, heirs to an outdated string factory owned by their father (William Hickey, in his final performance). They've also inherited a run down house, which they find themselves moving into after both of them find themselves out on the street thanks to a series of unfortunate events. The house seems worthless at first, until a discovery in the attic reveals that it's actually a "Missing LaRue": one of the houses designed by Charles Lyle LaRue that was previously unaccounted for. The two don't think much of it until they learn the full implications of it: this house is worth millions.

The two race to fix up the house before the bank forecloses on it, but they are unaware that the house isn't completely deserted. The two soon find their attempts thwarted by an extremely clever mouse.

The resulting film is an exuberant live action cartoon. It's little surprise that the film comes from Gore Verbinski, future director of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. All the set pieces are well-conceived and executed. It's like watching a Road Runner cartoon in live action.

Of course, that premise might get boring after awhile, so the film also adds in some surprisingly dark humor (an extended sequence in the local pound especially). While it might seem out of place in a family film, I find it refreshing. This is a movie that's not afraid to go there, but the light tone makes it feel more whimsically bleak than traumatically edgy.

The mouse is also a bit of a marvel of special effects, utilizing both practical and computer work. He has a lot of personality behind him, and we find ourselves sympathizing with both him and the home owners.

That's another bit of the film that surprised me- there are a few scenes that feel surprisingly heartfelt, as the two very different brothers come to respect each other. There aren't a lot of these scenes, but they're effective when they happen.

There are also some entertaining side characters, such as a billionaire interested in the house (Maury Chaykin), an auctioneer who's very dedicated to his job (Ian Abercrombie), and Lee's gold-digging wife (Vicki Lewis).

Of course, the standout is Christopher Walken as Cesar the exterminator. He's doing his usual shtick of course, but the character writing is so insane it's like a perfect marriage of actor and character.

"Mouse Hunt" is not great cinema, but it's good fun, and well worth ninety minutes of your time.