Simply Perfect

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This Casper prequel is such a nostalgia trip for me that I don't think I can ever hate it. There are flaws and this is truly not a good movie, but over the years I was able to see how there could have been two good movies.Notice I've said "TWO good movies." There's nothing wrong with multiple stories happening (checkout 'Magnolia' and 'Short Cuts'), but when neither reach any kind of potential they have, you know it has bitten off more than it can chew. The first story involves how Casper became a friendly ghost. It is never said how he actually becomes the ghost, just that he needs to graduate a scare school. This unfinished background could easily have been avoided. Barely anything else happens with Casper and the scare school the rest of the movie.The other story takes up the chunk of the film. It involves neglected ten-year-old outcast named Chris Carson whose single-parent father Tim (Steven Guttenberg) is a municipal workaholic. To make matters worse, Chris' overactive imagination has made him a perfect target for bullies. Tim really wants to tear down the city's landmark Applegate Mansion for more profitable estate, a move strongly opposed by Chris' teacher (Lori Loughlin). The Mansion is where the Ghostly Trio lives and where Casper's friendship with Chris grows. Aside from a few cool scenes of Casper doing fun ghost actions, the entire movie mostly deals with Chris' loneliness and Casper comforting him. Bad move making Casper just a side character.The bitterness between Chris and Tim is heartbreaking and badly done. There has been lots of movies where parents are workaholics, but Tim just seems like a severely selfish, incompetent parent. There is even the scene that boils so much that it causes Chris to just run away. That is such a gut-wrenching scene because Tim is such a mean father and his constant neglect is child abuse. The bullies jump Chris and lock him in the mansion hours before its demolition. Chris' near death situation (and a little conversation with Casper) gives Tim a change of heart and realizes how bad a parent he's been. But what angers me and most people about this is how little payoff there was. The bullies should have been put on trial, but they just get wedgies. Tim's realization was a major copout. If this was a movie all by itself without Casper, I guarantee there would have been no shortcuts and there would have been suitable payoffs. Same thing goes for the Casper story. The special effects (which really aren't that bad, typical late 90s tv CGI) and star-studded cast were not enough to save this.

I loved Casper one with Bill Pullman. This movie should have never been made. The only people holding this movie together is Kibosh and Steve Guttenburg. The young boy is sweet. The jokes were forced from the actors alike. His school teacher was nice. I agree with other comments on this movie. My stepdaughter loved the first movie. When she saw this one she turned the TV off in a huff. The follow up Casper movies also sucked. The storyline wasn't bad it was the script that let the movie down big time. Chris (Billy no mates) didn't have any other human friends? This is one to easily forget. It was nice to see Rodney Dangerfield make a cameo appearance. Bulldozer

I disagree with all the other idiotic comments. I think this movie is better then the 100% abysmal original 1995 version. I hated the original because the human characters sucked. but this, is great! I bought it after seeing a preview on my green eggs and ham tape. this film is hilarious and has good special effects.The Good: nice SFX good acting great characters not sexist (unlike the original) has lots of action has a true villain (also unlike the original)The Bad: NONE!The Ugly: stretch's voice is mediocre OK musicI'd Recommend this film to lovers of the franchise.WARNING:DO NOT SEE THE ORIGINAL OR CASPER MEETS WENDY OR THE TWO OTHERS.

I have this video at home and watch it around Halloween time. Anyway Tim and Mayor Johnny Hunt plan to tear down Applegate Mansion. This makes Tim's son Chris upset. And Chris's teacher Ms. Fistagraph leads a rally to save Applegate Mansion. Ms. Lyons Tim's assistant helps him find out that Chris's teacher is the one behind this rally to save Applegate Mansion. Foreman Dave is the guy that Tim hires at first to tear down Applegate Mansion but Dave and his crew quit due to the appearance by three ghosts so he hires Bill Case. Then Casper accidentaly missed Spook School. Chris befriends Casper and the Ghostly Trio ther'e names are: Stretch, Stinky, And Fatso. So Kibosh and his sidekick Snivel go on a quest to find Casper, Stretch, Stinky, And Fatso. Then there's Brock and his friends who are always picking on Chris then of course there's Principal Rabie the laughing stock of Chris's School.