FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT CASPER

In Casper, Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a father and daughter who are still reeling from the death of their mother/wife, move into the old Whipstaff Manor (loacted in Friendship, Maine. *insert Stephen King pun here*). James is a Ghost psychologist who specializes in helping the dead tend to their unfinished business so they can move on. Whipstaff manor is haunted by four ghosts, Casper (Malachai Pearson), Stretch (Joe Nipote), Stinky (Joe Alasky), and Fatso (Brad Garrett). Since Casper died when he was 12 and Kat herself is just a young teen, it doesn't take long for Casper to fall, um, head over heels (?) for the girl. Little do they know, the evil Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) and her lacky Dibbs (Eric Idle, who I quite like here) are using James to rid the house of the ghosts so the two can find the treasure that is supposedly hidden inside.

Casper is one of the films I grew up with. I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, but how does it hold up now that I'm 26? The answer: It holds up ok, I guess. There isn't any real solid through-line or story for the film. Instead, we get a bunch of threads that are wrapped up by the end. The characters are likable enough, and most of the actors do decent jobs (except for Cathy Moriarty, who is like nails on a chalkboard). Christina Ricci's Kat was my childhood crush for quite some time, and she is still pretty lovely here (no pedo). Bill Pullman's James is pretty doofy and dorky, but still enjoyable. Fatso, Stinky, and Stretch are mean-spirited but never to the point where they aren't likable (Though they aren't funny....most of the jokes aren't funny. There are also quite a bit of bad cameos. ) and Casper is very sweet. The romance between Kat and Casper is cute but also fairly creepy (How would one react if a somewhat hormonal 12 year old ghost fell for you? I'm not sure, but I think the emotion of horror would fit in there somewhere).

The CGI for our main ghosts is pretty decent and holds up well enough, and the interior sets are pretty cool (I wouldn't mind staying for a while in Whipstaff Manor). There is a good deal of whimsy and silliness in the film (most of which feels VERY 90's). The soundtrack is one of the strong points of the film as it is hauntingly beautiful at time. Casper also has some moments that sent chills up my back (in a good way. One example would be Casper remembering his death).

I can't say Casper has much for anyone over the age of 13, but for kids and pre-teens/young teens it's a pretty decent, sweet little flick. I'm not sure I'll go back and re-watch it often, but maybe if/when I have kids I'll sit down and show it to them.

2.5 STARS