Plot: What’s it about?
Omri (Hal Scardino) has just turned nine and he received many presents, but two of them will be of more use than the others combined. His older brother gives him a small cupboard, which seems normal enough, but has more to it than Omri first thinks. He is also given a small Indian figure, which was a gift from his best friend. Omri is unsure what to make of the cupboard at first, but after he leaves the Indian inside and locks the door, he discovers the magic that resides within, which is amazing to be sure. When Omri unlocks the cupboard, the Indian has changed from plastic to flesh, from a child’s toy to a real person. He is small, but he can talk and as Omri learns, he is an Iroquois warrior named Little Bear (Litefoot). The two start off in total wonder of each other, but soon forge a friendship, which of course, has some trials and tribulations. Omri begins to understand and respect the power of the cupboard, which means sooner to later, he and Little Bear could have to part ways, in one form or another.
I remember being somewhat hesitant about this film, as I wondered well Lynne Reid Banks’ novel would translate to the screen. I liked the novel a lot and hoped for a suitable treatment, but I was still doubtful, to be sure. But when I heard Frank Oz was signed to direct, I was skeptical no more and in the end, I was right to assume the material was in the right hands. The Indian in the Cupboard retained all the emotion and magical atmosphere of the novel, but adds in the visuals needed to ensure an excellent transition, very impressive indeed. I love how the movie deals with magical subject matter, but never seems like a pure fantasy flick, which could have been easy to do, I’m sure. Oz and his crew keep the film based in the real world and not within a dream world, which enhances the magical elements and adds to the atmosphere, at least I think so. I give this movie a high recommendation and on this disc, it looks & sounds better than ever and even has a couple supplements tacked on. In other words, those interested should give this one a spin, as it is well worth the price of admission, to be sure.
At the helm of this picture is Frank Oz, whose work I always seem to enjoy, to be sure. Oz seems to work within comedic projects often, but he also includes emotion and complex characters also, which combine to make his film that much more memorable. In this case, Oz takes a very sensitive, literate storyline and weaves it into a magical experience, but never makes it too magical, always keeping it based in reality. This ensures it remains powerful and realistic, which is vital when it comes to the characters, in terms of emotion and reactions. Although this movie has less comedic material than Oz usually works with, he still delivers an excellent film and makes sure the emotional content is well presented. Other films directed by Oz include Bowfinger, The Muppets Take Manhattan, In & Out, Little Shop of Horrors, and What About Bob? The cast includes Hal Scardino (Searching for Bobby Fischer, Marvin’s Room), Litefoot (Kull the Conqueror, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), Lindsay Crouse (The Insider, The Arrival), and Richard Jenkins (Random Hearts, The Mod Squad).
Video: How does it look?
The Indian in the Cupboard is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. This disc offers a nice improvement over the laserdisc edition, which was good, but this is downright great. The image is much sharper and more refined, which opens the scope of detail and provides a much richer experience. The warm color scheme is presented as intended, with natural flesh tones and no problems of any kind to report. No issues from the contrast side either, as shadows seem bold and I detected no detail loss, this is an impressive transfer indeed.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround track won’t be a reference option by any means, but it is a well crafted track and I was never let down. The surrounds are used often and to effective ends, though never forced to extremes, which is good news. The music sounds very smooth, while sound effects are well placed also, but geared toward subtle tones, as opposed to more powerful ones. I had no trouble with dialogue either, as vocals were clean and crisp, with no volume issues to report in the least. This disc also includes subtitles & language tracks in Spanish and French, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as an audio commentary track with director Frank Oz. I always enjoy his sessions and this one is no different, although he is less talkative than usual, which was a small let down. Even so, Oz supplies an informative track and talks about the story, his experiences within the production, the cast & crew, and of course, some humorous moments also, which Oz is superb with.
