Review of The Indian in the Cupboard (1995) by Traci F — 28 Jan 2013

"The Indian in the Cupboard" is a very inventive story that will charm adults and children. What's great about the film is that it realizes that not every story needs a "villain" if it has solid drama, good humor and interesting characters.

The characters feel real because they have dreams and aspirations and throughout their experiences with each other are forced to change and make choices. The main character "Omri" for example really grows as he bonds with "Little Bear" becoming curious about the Iroquois culture and learning to care and be responsible for the character he brings to life.

As the characters learn to understand each other the drama is exciting and not without a good share of laughs and it can get quite emotional at times too. There are a lot of really refreshing things about the film, like the casting (with several visual minorities in major roles) and the innocent feel you get from it; there aren't any problems that are solved with violence and it's nice to see that happen once in a while.

The special effects are great and through clever camera work and set design the movie's effects don't feel dated. It will bring out a lot of imagination out of children while entertaining them and making them laugh but there's good character drama here that adults can enjoy with their children and it's a real "family film"; something that the whole family can enjoy together.

(Dvd, January 23, 2013)(5 stars, Dvd 2011).