Long a favorite with children worldwide and based on the 1952 novel by Mary Norton (that subsequently launched four sequels), "The Borrowers" is a delightful tale that should please both children and adults alike. Norton, who had two earlier works collectively adapted as "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" in 1971, would probably have been pleased with this adaption. Perhaps a little short on character, but long on adventurous fun, this is an Indiana Jones type story created for the little ones.
Young kids love stories and/or movies that deal with little people since -- well, since they're little people themselves. Instantly identifying with the tiny characters as other "kids" (although some are adults) and the giants as adults (or parents), kids are immediately drawn into these stories. From early works like "Gulliver's Travels" to the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" series, children have always delighted in seeing a world of miniature people. Of course, adults share that fascination, and thus their attraction to those works as well as other stories such as 1966's "Fantastic Voyage" and the radioactive induced "The Incredible Shrinking Man" from the paranoia-filled 1950's.
Such stories and films are fun because they show a world where "regular" looking people are surrounded by giant-sized items that in our world are seemingly small and inconsequential. Yet to the characters in films like "The Borrowers" those items, such as dental floss, used birthday cake candles, and tape measures are essential, if not lifesaving tools and commodities.
While an oversized world filled with miniature people is one of this film's draws, an equally strong element is the cliffhanger aspect that permeates the plot. Much like a child-oriented version of those "Indiana Jones" movies, this film has a wild assortment of precarious moments in which the little characters continually find themselves.
For instance, an adventurous scene set quite early in the movie is as much fun as any you'd find in any of the "Indiana Jones" films. In it, we're introduced to the Clock family much the way we first met Harrison Ford's now famous character. Instead of searching for ancient artifacts, however, the borrowers are on a precarious mission to replace something extremely important to them -- a AA battery that powers their "borrowed" string of Christmas lights that illuminate their home. While that may sound boring, it's anything but as they much traverse the obstacle laden kitchen setting and stage a rescue attempt inside a freezer. There they must not only avoid human detection, but also an avalanche of boulder-sized ice cubes that are on their way down toward them through an ice maker chute. And you thought Ford had it bad with that one lukewarm boulder.
The whole extended scene that goes on for several minutes, not only introduces us to the story's elements, but it also immediately lets us know what's in store for us -- a wild, cliffhanger ride. The film certainly delivers, and that opening sequence and many other moments are quite thrilling and should simultaneously thrill and please children, their parents, and any other adults who may be in the audience.
Director Peter Hewitt, who last helmed the 1995 film "Tom and Huck" (and earlier directed "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey"), knows to keep the film continuously moving forward and he rarely takes his foot off the accelerator. While some may have hoped for a little more focus on characterization, Hewitt knows his core audience and understands that they want the wild ride that he so proficiently delivers. Although screenwriters John Kamps and Gavin Scott had little prior cinematic experience (Kamps adapted the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" story for the big screen), Norton gave them a good head start and they certainly don't fail in providing the film with many fun moments.
The visual effects and production design are both first-rate as they create an entirely believable world where these little people live. Peter Chiang and Digby Milner have done some eye-popping work by photographically superimposing the actors in miniature in a real-sized world (with the help of cinematographers John Fenner and Trevor Brooker), and the effect is nearly perfect throughout.
Likewise, production designer Gemma Jackson's work is outstanding in the creation of big-scale versions of our ordinary little belongings. The Borrower's world is intricately detailed, and makes fun use of our everyday items we take for granted. Examples include a Discover credit card used as a bedroom door, dental floss that substitutes for mountain climbing ropes, and a jet powered roller skate that's propelled by a spray can and is used to move about under the city.
Much of Jackson's work seems inspired by some previous Terry Gilliam films (such as "Brazil"). Set in London, yet mixing products and appearances from a wide range of years, the film never ceases to be fun to watch. The cars are from fifty years ago, yet the refrigerator has a modern ice maker and Bryers ice-cream inside it. The TV, while old as the hills, works from a remote control, and John Goodman carries a cell phone that looks as antiquated as the cars, if that were possible. It all adds to the fun, whimsical feel the movie continuously exudes.
Some viewers may compare this film with the recent Dreamworks release, "Mouse Hunt," and that's somewhat of a reasonable comparison. Both involve miniature "heroes" (one being a mouse) and both have creative set designs and a fun cinematic look also inspired by the old Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoons. Yet while "MH" was pretty good, "The Borrowers" avoids much of the "Home Alone" type scenes, the darker macabre humor, as well as the subtle sexual material, thus making this a better choice for younger kids.
As in that other film, the performances are adequate with Goodman (of TV's "Roseanne" and the recent "Blues Brothers 2000") playing a cartoon-like villain who gets his comeuppance. Like any similar character who's threatened Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, or other such characters in the past, the audience enjoys seeing the "little guy" foil the villain's goals. The rest of the cast does an okay job, but their characters aren't developed much more than to let us know they're capable of surviving the many predicaments they're confronted with. While it would have been nice to see them more fleshed out, that's not what this movie's really about -- besides there's certainly not enough time to spend focusing on such "insignificant" elements.
As the characters stand, they serve their purpose in helping to keep the story continuously moving forward. Consequently, parents shouldn't be too worried about their little ones getting restless while watching this. A clever, exciting film that's as much fun for the adults as it is for the kids, "The Borrowers" should make for a decent family outing to the theater. We highly enjoyed it and thus give the film an 8 out of 10.
![[Screen It]](https://www.screenit.com/images/screenit_subscriber_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
![[Around the World in 80 Days]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/around_the_world_in_80_days_2022_small.jpg)
![[Family Camp]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/family_camp_small.jpg)
![[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/doctor_strange_in_the_multiverse_of_madness_small.jpg)