muninnhuginn

I loved the book. I'd heard good things about the movie, despite it being a Disney thing. I think Looby Loo felt a little miffed when I commandeered The Disney Channel to watch on Saturday. It was tremendous. Proof that Disney can do good stuff, helped in this case no doubt by having the original author write the screenplay. Proof that a movie ostensibly for children, based on a book for children/young adults, can have real resonance and appeal. We all watched (okay the cats didn't, but they've been sulking since One Man and His Dog cam off the air).

The story, and its intricate narrative structure, survived mostly intact. I'm sure there were changes, but they didn't jar. The characters were spot on. Henry Winkler was just right, although worryingly almost a spitting image image of Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap. Sigourney Weaver was understated but solid (I think there could've been a temptation to over the top with this role, as a kind of desert Cruella de Vil, which was happily avoided). The kids were the right mix of rough and vulnerable.

Haven't enjoyed a film that much for quite a while.