The Great Land of Small is a movie that I had mostly forgotten over time. The last time I saw the film I was probably 7 or 8 years old, back around the time the film was released in the states. One reviewer mentioned the film seeming like a "fever dream", not knowing if the film even existed. I was much the same. I could not even remember the name of the film, let alone much of anything about it aside from some vague imagery of when the children enter the "great land" of small. A random search of the other child's film, Making Contact, led me to discovering, inadvertently, about the film I thought would be eternally left in my past. What I was even more delighted to discover was that the movie had been fully uploaded online to view at any time. So I decided to return to my childhood and watch this film now through the eyes of an adult.
The premise is quite simple. A brother and sister discover a leprechaun (Michael J Johnson) who has had his gold dust stolen by a hunter. From there, the children end up being whisked away to the "great land" of Small. The children discover that they will never be able to return home, and that they will be turned into butterflies by a giant floating meatball monster called "Slime-O". With the help of their leprechaun pal, a dogman, and some bearded guy, they get back home.
Where to begin?
The film is what I believe to be the 4th in a long series of children films produced in Canada. The most famous of these films was probably The Peanut Butter Solution, which is a film I actually adored growing up, and still have a lot of love for. I am guessing the reason The Great Land of Small never fully resonated with me is because it really is a crummy little film. Even for a film made for children, it's a rough go.
The films atmosphere is mostly dreary and bland with a score that only helps to solidify this dreariness. Another component that gives the movie its blandness is the cinematography. It captures only what it needs to capture without any flair or imagination.
The films script needs some serious polish. I get that this is a childs film, however, the dialog all feels like placeholder for something far more engaging. There are virtually no memorable lines of dialog in this film. Nothing to grab a childs interest. It is all so straight forward. As well as not at all realistic. For instance, the children in the film perceive virtually no danger from any character in the film (aside from Slime-O). They meet new people and within one second become the closest of friends. Whatever happened to never talking to strangers? Not in this movie.
A bad script can lead to some bad acting, as well as bad directing. And the acting in this movie suffers tremendously as a result. The two lead children seem to have been given the bare minimum of direction as they deliver their lines in a sing-song to yelling sort of manner. It quickly becomes grating and obnoxious. The adults do what they can with the bare materials they are given, but no one shines in any manner. The actress whom plays the children's mother (Lorraine Desmarais) seems to have worked with Cirque de Soleil and there are times where she tries to rise above the material, but with the meandering direction, her attempts are in vain. It was interesting to see Michael J Johnson in such an early role. And his character was the only one I actually liked in any capacity. Still, his dialog is awful, so I am basing this solely off of the fact I loved him in Twin Peaks.
Even with a small budget, there should be ways for the filmmakers to create a world that is convincing to children in a fantasy environment. When the children enter the "great land" of Small, it really is anything but great. It looks like some sort of studio or museum with set designs that one might see if Ed Wood was asked to direct. Costuming for the actors that portrayed the citizens of Small all look like bottom of the barrel from the wardrobe department. The Butterfly people simply looked like ballerinas floating in the air. But the weirdest and most bizarre part of Small is Slime-O. As stated, it is a giant floating Meatball Monster that consumes citizens and turns them into various things, such as butterflies. Slime-O, I must admit, it pretty freaking bizarre and creepy. It is also the only SFX in the movie that I genuinely had a good time with.
The Great Land of Small is a mess. I am happy that I was able to finally see the movie again after 30 plus years. But time has not been kind, and the film is a near painful experience to endure. The Peanut Butter Solution was a far better film with a better handling of the budget restraints. There is absolutely nothing great to be mentioned in The Great Land of Small.
The premise is quite simple. A brother and sister discover a leprechaun (Michael J Johnson) who has had his gold dust stolen by a hunter. From there, the children end up being whisked away to the "great land" of Small. The children discover that they will never be able to return home, and that they will be turned into butterflies by a giant floating meatball monster called "Slime-O". With the help of their leprechaun pal, a dogman, and some bearded guy, they get back home.
Where to begin?
The film is what I believe to be the 4th in a long series of children films produced in Canada. The most famous of these films was probably The Peanut Butter Solution, which is a film I actually adored growing up, and still have a lot of love for. I am guessing the reason The Great Land of Small never fully resonated with me is because it really is a crummy little film. Even for a film made for children, it's a rough go.
The films atmosphere is mostly dreary and bland with a score that only helps to solidify this dreariness. Another component that gives the movie its blandness is the cinematography. It captures only what it needs to capture without any flair or imagination.
The films script needs some serious polish. I get that this is a childs film, however, the dialog all feels like placeholder for something far more engaging. There are virtually no memorable lines of dialog in this film. Nothing to grab a childs interest. It is all so straight forward. As well as not at all realistic. For instance, the children in the film perceive virtually no danger from any character in the film (aside from Slime-O). They meet new people and within one second become the closest of friends. Whatever happened to never talking to strangers? Not in this movie.
A bad script can lead to some bad acting, as well as bad directing. And the acting in this movie suffers tremendously as a result. The two lead children seem to have been given the bare minimum of direction as they deliver their lines in a sing-song to yelling sort of manner. It quickly becomes grating and obnoxious. The adults do what they can with the bare materials they are given, but no one shines in any manner. The actress whom plays the children's mother (Lorraine Desmarais) seems to have worked with Cirque de Soleil and there are times where she tries to rise above the material, but with the meandering direction, her attempts are in vain. It was interesting to see Michael J Johnson in such an early role. And his character was the only one I actually liked in any capacity. Still, his dialog is awful, so I am basing this solely off of the fact I loved him in Twin Peaks.
Even with a small budget, there should be ways for the filmmakers to create a world that is convincing to children in a fantasy environment. When the children enter the "great land" of Small, it really is anything but great. It looks like some sort of studio or museum with set designs that one might see if Ed Wood was asked to direct. Costuming for the actors that portrayed the citizens of Small all look like bottom of the barrel from the wardrobe department. The Butterfly people simply looked like ballerinas floating in the air. But the weirdest and most bizarre part of Small is Slime-O. As stated, it is a giant floating Meatball Monster that consumes citizens and turns them into various things, such as butterflies. Slime-O, I must admit, it pretty freaking bizarre and creepy. It is also the only SFX in the movie that I genuinely had a good time with.
The Great Land of Small is a mess. I am happy that I was able to finally see the movie again after 30 plus years. But time has not been kind, and the film is a near painful experience to endure. The Peanut Butter Solution was a far better film with a better handling of the budget restraints. There is absolutely nothing great to be mentioned in The Great Land of Small.