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AspiringSquire
Reviews
Big (1988)
A child's fantasy comes true as a very literally young-at-heart adult
This is a young-kid-suddenly-turned-adult adventure that I loved as kid, and I feel that there is plenty of charm for adults also. I believe it was Tom Hanks' breakout role, and the movie is worthy of that designation. As a boy in a man's body, Josh gets to have a kid's dream job working for a toy company, and he faces some challenges such as living alone for the first time. He is generally naive to the adult perspective, with a youthful innocence that I found endearing when I was little, and I found more depth to it as an adult. I love a good fantasy story that addresses real human emotions and concerns, and both the story and Tom Hanks do an excellent job of portraying the mentality of a young boy in this child-like adult role. The Academy Award nominations for best actor and best screenplay are well deserved, and the film is also very aptly directed for telling this delightful tale.
Garfield in Disguise (1985)
Halloween is his middle name.
For a Halloween special, "Garfield in Disguise" (or "Garfield's Halloween Adventure") practically has it all: comedy, adventure, peril, and a scary-looking old man who tells of pirate ghosts that return every Halloween. As a Garfield holiday special, it does very well in conveying the spirit of the holiday--better, I think, than either "Garfield's Thanksgiving" or "A Garfield Christmas," which are also good. For Halloween, this means spooky stories and "candy, candy, candy." This special captures the best of the comic strip's humor and combines it with a frightening Halloween experience for Garfield and Odie, who put themselves in jeopardy while they are out trick-or-treating. The moments that could be scary for kids are very well offset with humor to keep things from getting too tense. There are even a few original songs that are pretty good (even catchy) and well-suited to the moments when they occur. Garfield also manages to show a bit of his kinder side in the end, however reluctantly. In my opinion, this is the quintessential Garfield special, and one of the best ever Halloween specials.