The Indian in the Cupboard

Starring: Hal Scardino, Litefoot, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Jenkins, Rishi Bhat, Steve Coogan, David Keith, Sakina Jaffrey, Vincent Kartheiser, Nestor Serrano, Michael Papajohn
Directed by: Frank Oz
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A boy (Hal Scardino) receives an old cupboard for his birthday and discovers when he puts toys in and locks it, they come to life.

Review:

Tim: I vaguely remember watching this movie when I was a kid and not really liking it. Thirty years later, I watched it with my nine year-old son and yeah, it's not very good. It's odd, because the basic premise is really interesting and Frank Oz might not be a good director, but he has experience. Along the way, though, quite a few things went quite wrong. Sure, it's not a terrible film- but it's not good in any sense.

I never read the original book, but if this film was faithful, then perhaps the problems originated there. The idea of a magical cupboard that turns your toys into real people (still tiny) is such a fantastic, brilliant, exciting concept. Any kid would kill for a chance to have that. And then, when we get the actual story, it's so depressing. The idea that a toy gets pulled from real life (in the past) makes zero sense. This Indian actually lived hundreds of years ago and had a real life (I guess), but Darth Vader can get pulled, too. Did that bring him from his real life? Or did the Indian not have a real life that he was trying to get back to? Was it all a mirage, a dream? The movie doesn't really explain this, but we're left with a young boy who callously rips people from their "real" life and then forces them to hang out in his bedroom, incognito. The whole thing is a bummer and watching this movie always borderline depresses me. I didn't quite grasp all this when I watched the movie at 10 or 11 years old, but I remember disliking the film.

The movie isn't helped by the main cast. Hiring child actors is always tough, but Hal Scardino isn't good. His dopey expression and wooden acting continually hurt the film. I just never believed in or cared about his character at all. The same can be said for young Rishi Bhat, who gives by far the worst performance of the film. His character is also one of the worst characters I've ever seen- just constantly annoying, selfish, and idiotic. Watching the characters played by Scardino and Bhat was watching two morons bumbling around and it grated on my nerves so severely.

The supporting cast does have some standouts. Litefoot deserved a medal for delivering a solid performance in an otherwise mediocre film. He seemed multidimensional, interesting, likable. I wanted to know more about his character and I was disappointed he mostly interacts with a dull child. I always love seeing Richard Jenkins, although he had only a small role. Steve Coogan does decent work. David Keith was a bit too over-the-top, but at least he brought energy to the role. As a whole, though, the cast is only average.

The visuals are actually really well done. For the mid-1990s, the visuals look somewhat impressive. The way they combined the different shots to make it seem like the toys came to life was especially effective. Frank Oz has a way with visual effects and he makes sure the movie looks good. That was never an issue with the film- it's the cast and the narrative (two critical elements) that really let the movie down. The other big issue, which I mentioned earlier, is that the movie is surprisingly devoid of fun. It's not especially entertaining and I'm not sure I had fun with any of it. It's all cloaked in depressing realities. The film features an odd, unnecessary death to remind you that none of this is actually fun. These aren't toys, but real people! They can be startled to death and their death will hang over your head, child! I'm just shaking my head at this bizarre misfire.

I might have rated The Indian in the Cupboard too highly. I guess the number rating matters less. The most important thing is that Frank Oz directs a kids movie that forgets to have any fun at all. This film is too heavy, too bleak, too annoying. It's a movie I'd like to never see again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Toy Story, Honey I Shrunk the Kids