Hauntingly Humorous Animated Adventure

Read Time:3 Minute, 9 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Canterville Ghost
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Genre: Animation, Comedy
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 34m
Director(s): Kim Burdon, Robert Chandler
Writer(s): Keiron Self, Giles New (Screenplay,) Oscar Wilde (original story)
Cast: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Freddie Highmore, Emily Carey, David Harewood, Meera Syal, Miranda Hart, Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton
Where To Watch: in select theaters just in time for Halloween on October 20, 2023, via Blue Fox Entertainment and Shout! Studios

RAVING REVIEW: In the world where the spectral and the touches of humor collide, THE CANTERVILLE GHOST emerges, boasting a heartwarming and slightly chaotic dance through animated cinema. Exploring the enchanting corridors of Canterville Chase, we’re ushered into an exploration of a tale that’s been told for centuries yet feels freshly invigorating in this animated revival. This lively adventure unwraps a story of haunting friendship, love, and a charmingly peculiar American family – all painted across a canvas where the joyous and the supernatural converse in captivating synchrony.

Imagine entering a realm where whimsical spirits interact with the living, creating a narrative that draws spectators into its heartening and comedic arms. The film echoes Oscar Wilde’s timeless tale’s playful tones and mortal entanglements yet molds it into a cinematic form that oscillates between ethereal humor and pulsating, earthly emotions. Sir Simon de Canterville, under the vocal and directorial guidance of Stephen Fry, navigates his existence with an elegance and nuanced hilarity that weaves through every frame, every ethereal antic.

However, the Otis family, particularly the endearing Virginia (Emily Carey), infuses this ghostly tale with its pull, as their amusing reactions to supernatural phenomena generate a fun contrast against the film’s experience. Their exaggerated and boisterously American personas saturate the movie with comic relief for younger viewers yet may somewhat distract those seasoned in Wilde’s original, more subtly humorous prose.

A touch of ethereal mayhem emerges as we watch the gentle love story between Virginia and Henry, the Duke of Cheshire (an endearing Freddie Highmore), softly unfold amid the ghostly chaos. A delicate blossom of emotion, nurtured amid animated spectral mischiefs and playful apparitions, turns our attention to the deeper, more soulful narrative lurking beneath the film’s exuberant surface.

While entertaining, its voyage through light-hearted comedic stories and more reflective, emotional depths desired a more decisive narrative anchor to tether its themes together. Yet, within the light critiques, THE CANTERVILLE GHOST is still a triumph for its target audience. THE CANTERVILLE GHOST retains a spirit of vibrancy that is unwaveringly present throughout its storytelling. Here, the living and the dead coexist, not as mere threads for the narrative, but as entities contributing to a heartfelt and exhilarating exploration between worlds.

This animated exploration offers a visually enchanting and fulfilling spectral journey, ensuring its echoes will linger pleasingly within the cinematic corridors of its audience long after the credits have cascaded down our screens.

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[photo courtesy of BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT, SHOUT STUDIOS!]

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As an advocate for creators, actors, and writers, I firmly stand with SAG-AFTRA in their current strike. The entertainment industry is built on these individuals’ extraordinary talents, and their contributions must be appropriately recognized and rewarded. They deserve fair compensation, sensible work hours, and respect for their creative rights. I believe in the power of unity and collective action, and I’m steadfast in my support for their fight for better working conditions and fair remuneration. Together, we can shape a more equitable future in the entertainment world.

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