The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

Wonderful character development!

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

On his ninth birthday a young boy (Hal Scardino) named Omri (it means "The Lord is my life" and was the name of a Hebrew king whose story is told in I Kings 16) receives various presents from his parents (Richard Jenkins , Lindsay Crouse) and brothers . Two of them first seem to be less important : an old cupboard -a wooden medicine cabinet - from his brother and a little Indian figure made of plastic . Then there happens the biggest adventure of his childhood , the magical cupboard brings his toy action figures to life and Omri watches him become flesh and blood ; there also appear a soldier (Steve Coogan) from WWII . Three-inch plastic Indian named Little Bear (Lifefoot) undertaking several adventures and teaching him important lessons . Thing go worse , however , when the boy's best friend brings a toy gunfighter (David Keith) to life and pursuit starts . Events turn nasty and might be frightened for young children , by some scenes involving a rather vicious mouse .Enjoyable and well-intentioned film plenty of good feeling , marvelous adventure , fantasy and sense of wonder . This is a nice movie with heart that amuses and has something to tell . The picture is pretty good but suffers of claustrophobic scenario , as it is mostly set in room , exception some brief scenes in courtyard . Intelligent as well as sensitive screenplay by Melissa Matheson , Harrison Ford's real-life first wife , based on the best-selling children's book by Lynne Reid Banks who wrote her original novel as a bedtime story for her son , Omri . Cool special effects , as blue screen techniques allow them to appear together-on-screen although they were really filmed together only once . Emotive as well as evocative musical score by Randy Edelman . Colorful and adequate cinematography by Russell Carpenter . The motion picture well produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall was professionally directed by Frank Oz , though he stated he was reluctant to direct this movie, as he doesn't think he's a children's director. Frank began forming team with the great Jim Henson filming known titles such as ¨The Dark Crystal¨ and ¨Muppets take Manhattan¨. Frank subsequently directed a lot of comedies as ¨Little shop of horrors¨, ¨Dirty rotten scoundrels¨, ¨What about Bob?¨, ¨House sitter¨, ¨In and out¨, ¨Bowfinger¨and a thriller titled ¨The score¨. And this ¨Indian in cupboard¨, it results to be one of his most sensitive films . Rating : 6'5/10 . Better than average . Well worth watching .

Even though I rated this plucky movie a 4, it doesn't mean I hate it, my dear friends. I liked it but it doesn't have the stuff to make it to my higher favoritism of movies. Frank Oz is imaginative, but I have to say that this film to me is not so Frank Oz, and movies that are adapted from books are quite impressive, but I can only say I was slightly impressed. For one thing, the cast is inadequate, I never heard of David Keith and Litefoot.This story follows Omri, an extremely childish youngster who, for his birthday, receives a MAGICAL (ooh!) cupboard. The Cupboard lacks its key so Omri's mother (actress Lindsay Crouse, never heard of her), gives him her collection of keys, and guess what…? He finds the certain key on his second try! That part always took me aback. He puts in an antique Iroquois figure in the cupboard, and later in the morning he opens it to find the figure alive as a small Iroquois man. The pair has many tedious adventures, some including an idiotic rat ball and a down-right scruffy cowboy who was a toy figure too. The cupboard MAGICALLY turns plastic (plaz-teck!) things into their real life counterparts, only smaller. The pair soon learns that every boy must become a man (a typical, yet true moral).Omri's character really is childish, yet endearing; his parents seem to pamper him, he's afraid of the dark, and he has lame 90's action figures; but he does mellow out in the end of the movie. I liked the acting, but it was no To Kill a Mocking Bird, even at moving parts. The Iroquois man was different from other Indian movies; he was a guru in a way. The music was just moderate and odd, though with one exception you'll know when you hear it.Be warned, my dear readers, this movie contains slight profanity (embarrassing really); simulative killing and some ladies do a loathsome dance on TV at one point (they call this a kid movie, how embarrassing. Let's hope Omri was sleeping at that adultish scene). And no the kid does not play God, its just a story, have fun. Other than the 3 points I pointed out, the movie is plucky and it has a rather moving ending. It's an poorish if okay movie.

Terrific! First we took their land, then we confined them to reserves, now we've forced Native Americans to live inside of our furniture.Fortunately, this kids' movie is not about constricting a Cree to a credenza – it's about an Iroquois.For his 9th birthday, Omri (Hal Scardino) receives a cupboard and a plastic Indian figurine (Litefoot).When he locks the statuette in the sideboard using a magic key, he opens to find that the toy has come to life.Next, he places a plastic cowboy (David Keith) into the cupboard. And later, he must animate a plastic medic (Steve Coogan); unfortunately, he has lost the key.Based on the beloved children's book, The Indian in the Cupboard may have its faults but at heart it's a compassionate account of growing up.However, wouldn't it be more enlightening for a maturing young man to bring his sister's Bratz dolls to life? (Yellow Light)

A horrible horror movie. And don't let that publicity fool you (the poster, the tagline, etc..). Aside from being the ultimate BORE, what possibly this could be? A philosophical flick about the deep brotherhood between humans, the greatness of philanthropy, the acceptance of fate's decisions, and the stupidity of making all of that cinematically too ! (Frank Oz) used to be the creative comic voice at the immortal (Muppet Show) and a good comedian occasionally as well, so what in god's name had happened ??? I've never felt of such suppressed provocation while watching a movie before; it's like bad flu, being imprisoned, or forced to be with the silliest creatures at all. On the poster, you'll read (An Adventure Comes to Life), well, apparently it dies again so fast. I think it's too gloomy and deadly slow (believe me it's one of the slowest) to be meant for children or else. Not to mention the scarily tasteless mood all over it. I still remember how the leaden sense of it bothered me for the whole day after watching. What could be more embarrassing than making a movie with good meanings that has no enjoyment, so wooden, and forces you to hate it? It might be useful only to punish your kids if they did something really wicked, however on second though that could be a little bit sadistic ! (The Indian in the Cupboard) ranks proudly as one of the worst 10 movies I've ever seen. And it's so sad that it's written by Melissa Mathison, the lady who wrote once E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).