| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Indian in the Cupboard
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG // July 3, 2001
List Price: $24.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Omri (Hal Scardino) has just turned nine years old, and he's overjoyed when he tears gaudy wrapping paper apart to uncover such varied presents as a skateboard and a Skeleton Warriors action figure. Those don't tickle Omri's fancy nearly as much as the cupboard given to him by an older brother, though. The cupboard, in combination with a key passed down from generation to generation, has the magical ability to give plastic toys life. As you could probably guess from the title, Omri discovers this power after inadvertently transforming a plastic Indian figurine into a proud Iriquois plucked from the 1700s. Little Bear, who sees the giant child as a god-like figure, quickly goes about adjusting to his size and his new surroundings. Omri, overjoyed at the prospects of unbridled wackiness the cupboard offers, quickly learns the downside to mucking around with magic he doesn't fully understand when one of his experiments results in death. He makes the mistake of showing off the cupboard's powers to his friend Patrick, who, despite Omri's warnings, sets about to create his own 1:24-scale little buddy. Patrick's choice of a trigger-happy cowboy named Boo-hoo Boone (David Keith) creates some tension among the recently-animated, but between the crises that ensue, Omri, Patrick, Little Bear, and Boone realize the importance of life, responsibility, and dealing with the inevitable changes that follow.
I found "The Indian In The Cupboard" to be enchanting when I caught it theatrically with some younger cousins in tow. Growing up, I was convinced my toys had feelings, even if they couldn't talk or move, and when my parents sold a heavy chunk of them off in a garage sale, I was devastated -- not so much because I missed my toys, but because I thought they'd get the impression that I was rejecting them or something. That's probably not something I should admit to in a review with untold thousands of eyes watching, but "The Indian In The Cupboard" brought that sense of innocence and awe bubbling to the surface. Having some kids around me contributed greatly to that, I think, as the movie didn't have nearly the same effect as I watched it by myself years later. "The Indian In The Cupboard" is probably best suited as a family film, and I don't mean that in the "it's a tepid kids' movie" sense. It's a great way for a family to get together and spend an hour and a half.
Video: I first heard about the impending DVD release of "The Indian In The Cupboard" from Image Entertainment, whose weekly update incorrectly listed its aspect ratio as 2.35:1. I was a bit surprised when the DVD case stated that the widescreen version "preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio, approximately 1.78:1." If that is its theatrical aspect ratio, 1.78:1 seems kind of strange for a movie shot on film back in 1995. Anyway, the anamorphic widescreen video is decent, but nothing deserving numerous paragraphs of praise. Some light grain is present, which occasionally sucks out some of the detail and clarity. The disc looks fine, but the quality of the video gives the impression that "The Indian In The Cupboard" is a few years older than it really is. The anamorphic widescreen presentation is decent but not anything remarkable, and the quick peek I took at the full-frame version on the other side of the disc gave me the same sort of impression.
Audio: That pesky Image update also listed "The Indian In The Cupboard" as having a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Yup, that's another foul-up. The English stereo surround track that is included is far from a disappointment, though. "The Indian In The Cupboard" isn't a movie that's full of flashy, bombastic sound effects. The audio's fairly low key, and the effects are used more to complement the film rather than to draw attention to themselves. The use of surrounds is subtle and effective, and a few moments, such as the roar of thunder, offer a remarkable low-end kick. Dialogue is always discernable, although the intentionally low volume of the smaller characters might have you fiddling with your remote a bit after Little Bear is first introduced. Also available are Spanish and French audio tracks, as well as corresponding subtitles for each of these three languages.
Supplements: The exceptionally dull commentary for "Monkeybone" that I'd watched the night before had left a bad taste in my mouth, and I wasn't too enthusiastic about sitting through another director-only commentary in such a short period of time. I should've known not to set my expectations so low when a talent like Frank Oz is involved. Oz provides a phenomenal amount of detail on technical issues as well as general production notes. A few nice anecdotes on casting and the particulars involved with certain complex effects shots are mixed in, and pauses are brief and infrequent.
Trailers for "Fly Away Home", "Hook", "Jumanji", "Madeline", and "Muppets From Space" are included, though oddly, there's not a trailer for the feature. The photo gallery includes around 18 stills, featuring some nice behind-the-scenes and special effects shots. Finally, there are filmographies for Frank Oz, writer Melissa Mathison, and David Keith.
Conclusion: I didn't enjoy "The Indian In The Cupboard" nearly as much watching it by myself, but I'd heartily recommend this disc as an addition to any family's DVD collection. Recommended.
I found "The Indian In The Cupboard" to be enchanting when I caught it theatrically with some younger cousins in tow. Growing up, I was convinced my toys had feelings, even if they couldn't talk or move, and when my parents sold a heavy chunk of them off in a garage sale, I was devastated -- not so much because I missed my toys, but because I thought they'd get the impression that I was rejecting them or something. That's probably not something I should admit to in a review with untold thousands of eyes watching, but "The Indian In The Cupboard" brought that sense of innocence and awe bubbling to the surface. Having some kids around me contributed greatly to that, I think, as the movie didn't have nearly the same effect as I watched it by myself years later. "The Indian In The Cupboard" is probably best suited as a family film, and I don't mean that in the "it's a tepid kids' movie" sense. It's a great way for a family to get together and spend an hour and a half.
Video: I first heard about the impending DVD release of "The Indian In The Cupboard" from Image Entertainment, whose weekly update incorrectly listed its aspect ratio as 2.35:1. I was a bit surprised when the DVD case stated that the widescreen version "preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio, approximately 1.78:1." If that is its theatrical aspect ratio, 1.78:1 seems kind of strange for a movie shot on film back in 1995. Anyway, the anamorphic widescreen video is decent, but nothing deserving numerous paragraphs of praise. Some light grain is present, which occasionally sucks out some of the detail and clarity. The disc looks fine, but the quality of the video gives the impression that "The Indian In The Cupboard" is a few years older than it really is. The anamorphic widescreen presentation is decent but not anything remarkable, and the quick peek I took at the full-frame version on the other side of the disc gave me the same sort of impression.
Audio: That pesky Image update also listed "The Indian In The Cupboard" as having a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Yup, that's another foul-up. The English stereo surround track that is included is far from a disappointment, though. "The Indian In The Cupboard" isn't a movie that's full of flashy, bombastic sound effects. The audio's fairly low key, and the effects are used more to complement the film rather than to draw attention to themselves. The use of surrounds is subtle and effective, and a few moments, such as the roar of thunder, offer a remarkable low-end kick. Dialogue is always discernable, although the intentionally low volume of the smaller characters might have you fiddling with your remote a bit after Little Bear is first introduced. Also available are Spanish and French audio tracks, as well as corresponding subtitles for each of these three languages.
Supplements: The exceptionally dull commentary for "Monkeybone" that I'd watched the night before had left a bad taste in my mouth, and I wasn't too enthusiastic about sitting through another director-only commentary in such a short period of time. I should've known not to set my expectations so low when a talent like Frank Oz is involved. Oz provides a phenomenal amount of detail on technical issues as well as general production notes. A few nice anecdotes on casting and the particulars involved with certain complex effects shots are mixed in, and pauses are brief and infrequent.
Trailers for "Fly Away Home", "Hook", "Jumanji", "Madeline", and "Muppets From Space" are included, though oddly, there's not a trailer for the feature. The photo gallery includes around 18 stills, featuring some nice behind-the-scenes and special effects shots. Finally, there are filmographies for Frank Oz, writer Melissa Mathison, and David Keith.
Conclusion: I didn't enjoy "The Indian In The Cupboard" nearly as much watching it by myself, but I'd heartily recommend this disc as an addition to any family's DVD collection. Recommended.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||