The Indian in the Cupboard

A young boy gets a toy indian which he puts in a cupboard overnight. It comes to life, fearful of the child at first, but they soon become friends. A cowboy and a soldier are added to the cupboard, and they too become animated. A very entertaining movie which is suitable for all.

This is one of those movies you watch as a child, and you love it, and when you watch it as an adult, you hope it will live up to your memory. A little boy receives a few unique gifts for his birthday: an old cupboard, an old key, and an old Native American Iroquois toy. When combined, something magical happens. The toy becomes a living man. The young boy is at first excited about being able to make his toys come to life, until he learns that with the people being truly alive, it also means they can die. He learns a lot from the Native American about the man's culture, and brings the information to school. But when the boy's friend learns the truth, he decides to bring an old cowboy to life, which causes fights between the toys. This is a heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and the meaning and consequences of life. For that reason, this movie is sweet, and good. However, from a technical standpoint, this movie is terrible. Therefore, I must say, if you have kids then this would be a sweet movie to watch with them. Otherwise, never see this film. Soundtrack: 4- There were moments of soundtrack that worked, usually when putting in bits of Native American chants, but for the most part it was just bad. Script: 4- There are so many plot holes. Not only that, but the script sounded choppy, and not well thought out. However, there were some moments that seemed to try to be character development, and for the sake of what the script had to offer, it was OK. Originality: 10- This was definitely an excellent idea, and might even work if redone better. Cinematography: 5- The cinematography was not spectacular. There were some strange camera choices. However, the special effects blended pretty decently, giving this an average score. Casting: 2- There were a couple people that worked, but for the most part the cast just wasn't right. Acting: 1- The man playing the Native American was decent, and the only reason the acting is not a zero. No one else in this film could act at all. Overall: 4.3

The movie is a creative idea I think only young children would enjoy. It's about a kid who is always coddled by his mother. Because of this he now acts feminine & is afraid of the dark. One scene he wasn't feeling good and couldn't eat a single bite of his dinner so instead of treating him like a normal child his parents had him lay between them in their bed. In the beginning it looked like the director just told everybody to smile and act like they're high. I think this is how psychopaths are raised. At least he was given a magical cupboard for his birthday. The movie has a neat concept so I'm sure young children would enjoy it.

After the initial trailers and TV spots, I wrote this one off as a bland family flick, which it is. Then my aunt persuaded my mom and I to rent it, saying it was a really good movie. After we popped it in the VCR, 15 minutes into the movie, we already found ourselves getting bored with it. It uses up whatever juice it had too quickly, and the rest of the movie leaves the viewers stuck with not but a waste of film and time. Also, the little kid's mother asks him how he is doing, and he responds with "I'm doing pretty damn good". In the film, the mother says "Good", but in real life, I don't think a mother would approve of such language.

I loved this movie almost as much as Hal Scardino, who plays Omri, had me believing he loved Little Bear. As life's lessons go, Indian in the Cupboard teaches many of the best about friendship and responsibility while providing spirited entertainment for young and old.