North

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TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Nov 30 Rob Reiner’s North, the 1994 family comedy starring a very young Elijah Wood, initially gives the impression that it will be a sweet, whimsical adventure. On the surface, the premise has potential: a child sets out to find the "perfect" parents after feeling unappreciated by his own. But as the story unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that the film is far more one-dimensional than its imaginative setup suggests. What could have been a heartfelt story about family, belonging, and identity instead becomes an oddly disjointed series of vignettes that never form a cohesive emotional through-line. The screenplay struggles right out of the gate, offering scenarios that feel awkwardly stitched together rather than purposefully connected. Instead of building momentum or depth, each sequence plays out like a skit—mildly amusing at times but rarely engaging. The narrative remains flat, giving the viewer very little to invest in emotionally. For a film that should thrive on warmth, charm, and heart, North feels surprisingly hollow. From a directorial standpoint, Reiner appears to have a clear vision at first, attempting to craft a family-friendly fairy-tale with modern sensibilities. But somewhere along the way, the film loses its direction entirely. The tone becomes inconsistent, the pacing drags, and by the second half, it feels as though the story itself is uncertain about its purpose. The result is a film that begins with charm but dissolves into a confusing and unfocused experience. Elijah Wood, normally a reliably strong young performer, does what he can with the material, but even his talent can’t fully elevate such a scattered narrative. His performance suggests effort, yet the script gives him little to work with. Instead of exploring genuine emotional growth or internal conflict, Wood’s character is left wandering through disconnected situations that never allow him to settle into who North is supposed to be. A major issue with North is how forgettable it becomes almost immediately after watching. The film doesn’t deliver the lasting impression or nostalgic sweetness that many family films from the early 90s manage to achieve. Instead, it fades from memory just as quickly as its episodic scenes wrap up, leaving the audience with the sense that the story never truly began—and certainly never reached a meaningful conclusion. Ultimately, North is a film that aimed for whimsy but never found its footing. Despite a promising premise and a talented young lead, it falls flat in its storytelling, direction, and emotional resonance. It’s not a movie I would recommend, especially given how many other family films from its era remain timeless, heartfelt, and rewatchable. North, unfortunately, is none of those things and stands as one of the more forgettable entries of 1990s family cinema. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 29 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 20 Funny in 1 hour and 28 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $6,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Sinéad W May 10 As a child, North didn’t feel absurd to me it felt natural. Watching it now, I see how surreal and exaggerated it is, but back then, it played like a dream I could’ve had. The story of a boy who divorces his parents and travels the world searching for new ones wasn’t strange. It was fantastical, imaginative, and emotionally honest. North exists in a space between a child’s fantasy and emotional reality. It’s a film that feels like it was made from the mind of a child, not just for children. Each scene unfolds with a kind of dream logic: bold, colorful, strange, and often funny in a way that only makes sense if you’re looking at the world through young eyes. Cultures are caricatured, emotions are big, and the rules of reality bend. Not because the film is sloppy, but because it’s tuned to how children think and feel. It’s not trying to win over adults. And maybe that’s why so many adults hated it. Critics saw North as aimless and juvenile, but I saw it as a rare film that dared to reflect the inner world of a child. Not just in plot, but in style, tone, and emotion. The absurdity wasn’t absurd to me; it was magical. North may not be a perfect film, but to the right child, at the right time, it can feel like being seen. It’s a journey through the highs and lows of growing up, filtered through fantasy and dreams. See more Anton H 11/19/2024 I think about this movie a lot. What in the world was Rob Reiner thinking? It actually *may* have worked, provided it was a different kind of movie. If the offensive material actually went much further, with emphasis on the fact that a child’s imagination can lead to troublesome assumptions of other cultures, this could have been a clever dark comedy, aimed at adults. As a kid’s movie, though… ugh. Terrible stuff that gives kids a lot of bad ideas. Shameful movie. See more Christopher J 09/04/2024 this movie isnt funny at all what a waste of time See more Read all reviews

North

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