![]() If you want your grade school child to be go through life exposed to minimal, paltry, vacuous, substandard educational material then this movie more than fills that role. It fits the bill for an afternoon background flick to help fill the void of quarentine blur. ![]() The animation isn't great but it's cute and absolutely acceptable for a kid's adventure movie. It's boring and feels like it's just ripping off other movies. There's a bunch of cutaways as the movie is told via a grandpa reading a book to some other kids and honestly all of that could have just been thrown out. Without them I wouldn't have endured the 80 minutes but they really outshined the rest of the cast. The main kids of the central story, Scott and Emily are very cute and well played and made the movie worth the bad points. It's feels like a stageplay with stilted lines, overacted posing and behaviors, and it's all shot directly forward, no cinematic angles or interesting shots. Going in with the bar set to it's lowest parameters I found myself vaguely interested and not miserable.Īn oddly charming and cute cast with a very adequate soundtrack but everything else is pretty mediocre lol Sometimes you see something that looks so absolutely bad that you just have to check it out. Without spoiling the film too much, it's definitely left open for an "Adventures of Rufus 2," and we can't wait to see what happens next. Like I said at the top of this review, movies like this are a dying breed. But that's it, and its a small price to pay for a family-friendly film that is enjoyable for all. While the CG monsters are solid for the most part, they do have a few imperfect moments, and the actress playing the grandmother leaves a little to be desired at times. The negatives are few and far between, as far as I can see. The fantastic score by David Stone Hamilton moves the film along nicely and is also full of references and homage to other properties. The film pays homage to a number of big titles including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, which audiences of all ages will enjoy. The heroes encounter a good number of CG monsters that stand in their way, including a giant t-rex skeleton that comes to life and a dragon the kids will love. The movie is captured well and looks and sounds great. If anything, I would've like more of Lilith and her goons in this movie. She is supported by her goons played by Topher Owen and Nicholas Simon, who feel like they were pulled from one of the hilarious early Ernest movies, or another 90s screwball comedy. The adults in the family will undoubtedly appreciate the deliciously evil and funny standout performance from Leah N.H. Rufus is equal parts sweet and courageous, apparently voiced by the film's director - Ryan Bellgardt, and Cory Phillips has the perfect amount of over-the-top charisma as the often humorously confused, but noble Abbott. Young audiences will have no problem connecting with Scott and Emily, both likable tweens played well by Beck and Kientz. The whole thing is bookended by a cute Princess Bride-esque wraparound. Scott and his friend Emily (Madelyn Kientz) soon begin to uncover Rufus and the secrets of the mansion, and enter a race against time to find Abbott and rescue Rufus's world before Lilith gains control. Two years later, the old woman's grandson Scott (Kyler Charles Beck) comes to visit the mansion, where Rufus has been hiding since that fateful night and Lilith now works as the maid of the house. Philpott), who also becomes trapped on Earth as a result of the fight. A furry creature named Rufus from another world becomes trapped in the attic of an old woman's mansion on Earth after he and his master, the wizard Abbott (Cory Phillips), are separated during a scuffle with Abbott's nemesis, the sorceress Lilith (Leah N.H. Totally appropriate for all ages, but peppered with reasons to keep parents watching. It reminds me a lot of the Disney Channel Original Movies I watched growing up. This film lands in the sweet spot in the middle. In this day and age, that's rare all the movies aimed at families are either TOO edgy or TOO kid friendly. "Adventures of Rufus: The Fantastic Pet" is a GREAT deal of fun, has a lot of heart, and is appropriate and has something for all ages. Watched this earlier this week, and after reading reviews all over the board, I'm not sure what there isn't to like about this flick.
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