Seeing is believing.
Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.
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Character
Classical in form, effortless, resolved and comic.
- classical in formformally daring
- effortlessdemanding
- resolvedopen-ended
- gravecomic
- unpretentiousprestige
Who loves it, who doesn't
62 profiled raters. Loved most by The Comfort Seekers; disliked most by The Prestige Hunters.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is Casper too gentle for its own good?”
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“Is Kat the real protagonist?”
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“Is Casper better than its reputation?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- TheFilmCritics.orgon TMDB · Aug 20267/10
Few family movies manage to make a haunted house feel this inviting, but Casper turns its spooky setting into the heart of a surprisingly charming adventure. It is not a particularly sophisticated film, nor does it always know what to do with its darker themes, but its warmth, visual creativity, and sheer entertainment value make it an easy movie to enjoy. The film’s most impressive achievement is its visual effects. The CGI remains remarkably smooth for its era, allowing Casper and the Ghostly Trio to blend naturally into the live-action world. Whipstaff Manor is equally terrific, filled with elaborate rooms, contraptions, and atmospheric details that make it feel like a character in its own right. The movie has a wonderfully playful visual identity, and much of its entertainment comes simply from seeing what strange thing will happen next. It also benefits from a strong supporting cast and a genuinely likable central character. Casper is charming without being obnoxiously cute, and his loneliness gives the otherwise lightweight story a surprisingly sweet emotional core. The movie understands that its best moments come from its characters rather than its plot, and when it leans in
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Oct 20257/10
Kids in Scotland of a certain age might just remember Glen Michael’s “Cavalcade”. This was a television programme on a Sunday afternoon that featured cartoons and one of the most popular of those was “Casper”, the friendly ghost. It was probably more popular because there were hardly ever any available and so when they were announced, it was always exciting. It’s against that sentimental backdrop that I really quite enjoyed this Spielberg action adventure film. It all starts when “Carrigan” (Cathy Moriarty) inherits a decrepit manor house in which she believes there to be a secret fortune. When she arrives she discovers it already has an occupant, and she has to get rid of him first. How, though? Well she even tries the “Ghostbusters”, but to no avail. Eventually, she and her hapless aide “Dibs” (Eric Idle) alight on the widowed spectral scientist “Dr. Harvey” (Bill Pullman), who arrives at the house with his daughter “Kat” (Christina Ricci). Quickly getting used to their house-sharers, what now ensues sees a series of mischievous adventures with our apparition and the young “Kat” as they try to thwart the treasure seeking owner and maybe even settle some old scores, too. If I do h
Read the whole review on TMDB - r96skon TMDB · Jan 20227/10
I remembered so much of this, and yet absolutely nothing of the plot. <em>’Casper’</em> is a film I must’ve watched so much as a young kid on video, the opening few scenes are very nostalgic. As noted though, I didn’t recall anything serious from this 1995 flick though. It’s a little deeper than I remember, with some adult themes touched on - the concluding scenes stand out in that regard. I did remember the cast, however. Malachi Pearson is perfect as the voice of the titular character, while Christina Ricci is good in the lead live-action role. Bill Pullman spearheads the rest of the onscreen talent well. One casting note: A young Devon Sawa has a part, I recently watched him in television’s <em>’<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chucky_(TV_series)" rel="nofollow">Chucky</a>’</em> - which I’d recommend, fwiw. Another: Clint Eastwood makes a small cameo, as does a certain ghost hunter. Just the *checks notes* four follow-ups have spawned from this release. Off we go...
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Cast
- Malachi PearsonCasper (voice)
- Christina RicciKat
- Bill PullmanDr. Harvey
- Cathy MoriartyCarrigan
- Eric IdleDibs
- Joe AlaskeyStinkie (voice)
- Joe NipoteStretch (voice)
- Brad GarrettFatso (voice)
- Devon SawaCasper on Screen
- Chauncey LeopardiNicky
Crew
- Brad SilberlingDirector
- Sherri StonerWriter
- Deanna OliverWriter
- Dean CundeyDirector of Photography
- James HornerOriginal Music Composer
- Michael KahnEditor
- Colin WilsonProducer
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