matthias s
*Casper Meets Wendy* is a nostalgic watch, especially for anyone who grew up with the 1995 *Casper*. The CGI here hasn’t aged gracefully, feeling more clunky than charming, though it adds a certain retro feel. Hillary Duff, as Wendy, absolutely shines – even at a young age, she shows a natural knack for acting. I loved her in my childhood, and her performance here makes her character likable and memorable.
It’s surprising how stacked the cast is, adding some fun energy to the story, which, as expected, leans heavily into a kid-friendly vibe. While it has a few entertaining moments, overall, it didn’t fully capture my interest like the original did. Ultimately, it’s simple, lighthearted fun – ideal for a young audience, though lacking the same spark for adults. Worth a watch if you're curious, but it’s a movie best enjoyed by its intended, younger audience.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/30/24
Full Review
SkyRo P
Upon reading reviews of the film, I find myself puzzled by the differing opinions. Personally, I believe that "Casper" is a fantastic and magical movie that delivers great entertainment, particularly in its original form. The lovable character of Casper, along with the comical uncles, creates a delightful and enjoyable cinematic experience.
Christina Ricci's performance is outstanding, and Devon Sawa shines as Casper, making the movie a standout in the genre. Despite my positive view, I feel that critics have not given this film the credit it truly deserves. It has rightfully earned its place as a classic and a beloved cult favorite.
However, when it comes to the sequels like "Casper Meets Wendy," I must admit that the magic of the original film seems to have faded. The rushed and lacking plot fails to capture the charm of the first movie, leaving viewers feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.
Similarly, "Casper: A Spirited Beginning" and "Casper's Haunted Christmas" fall short of replicating the success of the original. These films struggle to maintain the charm and appeal of the first movie, ultimately becoming forgettable and difficult to enjoy.
While I have revisited the original "Casper" film numerous times, I have only watched the sequels a couple of times at most. The magic and nostalgia of the first movie remain unmatched, leaving the subsequent films unable to recapture the same enchanting quality.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
08/18/24
Full Review
Audience Member
25 years later and another one of my favorite childhood direct-to-video flicks by director Sean McNamara It’s far better than the previous film ‘A Spirited Beginning’ despite a number of panning reviews This was during the wave of late 90s-early 2000s kids productions The cast here comprises of rising star Hilary Duff pre-Lizzie McGuire on the Disney Channel, Shelley Duvall, Teri Garr, George Hamilton, and the return of Cathy Moriarty In this story Casper and his three uncles, Stretch, Stinky, and Fatso cause chaos but Casper just wants a friend to escape from his harsh treatment of his family A young witch named Wendy unlike her three aunts is friendly and prefers not to play tricks on people Meanwhile a powerful warlock named Desmond Spellman learns from his mirror slave that Wendy will become more powerful than him, of course Desmond wants to remain the only powerful being alive so he hatches a plan to dispose of Wendy and her family He plans do use the dreaded Mystic Abyss, whatever goes in vanishes forever She and the rest of them decide to hide at a luxury resort in the Catskills yet little do they know that Casper and his uncles are staying too The film makes it pretty clear that ghosts and witches do not like each other causing a rift among their communities; when Casper actually meets Wendy face-to-face they decide to become best friends instead of mortal enemies Both of them just want everyone to get along and start listening to their voices Can they work together and defeat Desmond Spellman? The film is such a lot of fun to watch; There’s the budgeted effects which you’d expect, some funny humor, an adorable performance by Duff as this good little witch, and Hamilton is absolutely eating up every scene as this villain The soundtrack is really good too Although the Josh character really could’ve been cut out of this since his arc goes nowhere If you don’t think about the continuity with the original movies then the kids should have a good time with this one Harmless lighthearted fun for the whole family I gotta say
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
09/25/23
Full Review
Liam D
It is superior then Casper A Spirited Beginning but it's cheap visual effects, bland and annoying writing and mediocre acting makes a spell not worth casting or a spook worth befriending
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/01/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This is a fun spooky time for kids under the age of 12. Hilary Duffs 1st ever film. Enjoy the made for TV movie.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
10/17/22
Full Review
r 9
It's a poor film, yet kinda is better than it has any right to be given what it is... and it definitively improves upon 'Casper: A Spirited Beginning', so gets props for that.
'Casper Meets Wendy' feels like it takes things from 1993's 'Hocus Pocus' and that's a positive, the parts of the story with the trio of witches and Wendy (portrayed by film debutant Hilary Duff!) are actually almost good. However, negatives include the underuse/misuse (at least that's how it felt to me) of Casper and the parts of the plot with George Hamilton & Co. - which are, frankly, terrible.
Jeremy Foley remains solid as the voice of Casper since joining with the second installment, while Cathy Moriarty - Carrigan from the original - returns to the series in a different role. The only person who appears in all three opening releases is Ben Stein, as far as I noticed anyway.
Next: 'Casper's Haunted Christmas'. Exciting stuff, I know...
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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