Very well executed

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995): Dir: Frank Oz / Cast: Hal Scardino, Litefoot, David Keith, Rishi Bhat, Steve Coogan: Imaginative film full of glorious visual wonders about ancestry. The cupboard represents time lapse and the uniting of two worlds or cultures. Omri is given a small plastic Indian figurine with a cupboard. He locks the Indian in the cupboard and discovers the figure come to life. His name is Little Bear and the story never indicates how the cupboard sustains such power. It is disturbing to see these lives in the care of a kid. Directed by Frank Oz who normally makes comedies such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but here he aims at family and fantasy viewers. Hal Scardino plays this kid given a key that holds no explanation, and he is given a responsibility that seems much for a kid his age. Litefoot plays the wise Little Bear but we are given little if any background, but the plot gears towards his dealing with his size verses the world he now inhabits. David Keith is hilarious as cowboy Boone, and easily the film's best performance. Boone enters as a pushover but becomes peaceful after an incident. Rishi Bhat is suitable as Scardino's best friend and soon he attempts to expose the figures. Steve Coogan plays a medical figurine who treats Little Bear when he is wounded. Theme of ancestry make the cupboard worth opening but caution issued for young viewers. Score: 9 / 10

On this one, I am surprised that viewers are so critical as to miss the big picture of the magical moments and concepts of the movie. I agree, there are quite a few flaws overall, but some are just direction or editing oversights. However, this film deserves to be recognized as a really good family film as is. There are so many good "teaching moments" for parents regarding what kids go through growing up. The effects were well done for the time, playing the small vs. big people visuals. I was absorbed in the story well beyond picking on every detail. Omri was decent, not great, but believable as the kid star; the casting and scripting both for Little Bear are compelling, fascinating, and wonderful. I would recommend this film to almost anyone, if their reality can be suspended for 96 minutes. It is a great story, if only a good film. Entertaining and more gripping than many films since.

It's sometimes nice to revisit movies from childhood, and that's just what I did with this one, an adaptation of the children's novel of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks. I think my first viewing of "The Indian in the Cupboard" was on the big screen, and then I saw it at school twice at two different times within the next few years. So, I saw this film twice during childhood, and a third time in my early adolescent years. Just yesterday, I rented it so I could see it again for the first time in nine years. By this time, I had seen its rating and number of votes here, so I could tell that it wasn't highly regarded as a family classic. For that reason, I did not have high expectations, and basically, this PG-rated family movie turned out to be a mixed blessing, which was probably the best I could hope for.When a young boy named Omri celebrates his ninth birthday, one of the presents he gets is a cupboard from his older brother, and another is a little plastic Indian figure from his friend. With both of these presents, he is in for a surprise. After placing the plastic figure in the cupboard, locking it up, and then opening it again, he sees that the figure, still the same size, has come to life! He soon learns that this is what happens when one places a figure in there, locks the door, and opens it again! That plastic figure has been replaced by a real 18th century Iroquois Indian named Little Bear, interrupted from his life and brought to Omri's room, where he is the size of an action figure! He agrees to stay for a while, but during his stay, he and the young modern-day boy are headed for adventure and conflict, and their cultural differences turn out to be one of their problems.One criticism of this movie I agree with is the acting, especially Hal Scardino's acting in the lead role of Omri. He wasn't the greatest child actor to ever make it to the silver screen, that's for sure. Another severe flaw in the film is sometimes the musical score. It tends to be pretty sappy, and really seems unreasonable at times, such as the music in the scene where Omri first sees Little Bear alive in the cupboard. More still, there's some very poor dialogue, and there also may be some humour here, but that also usually fails, with the likes of Boo-hoo Boone, a goofy cowboy who also comes from the cupboard. Now, not everything about this film is bad. Little Bear is a likable character, even if Litefoot doesn't do the greatest job playing him. I can't say I was completely bored throughout the entire film, as there were parts that intrigued me to a certain degree, but this did not hide the blatant flaws.I vaguely remember reading the book back in the late 90's, but can't remember it too well, so I don't know how it compares. However, it does seem to be more popular than this adaptation. This movie is one of those which was never one of my favourites as a kid, and I'm not sure exactly what I thought of it at the time, but I guess I liked it somewhat. During my last viewing, much later than the rest of them, I could definitely see more flaws in it than I used to (I don't think I used to see any real flaws in it at all). This 1995 adaptation of "The Indian in the Cupboard" does have a few redeeming features, but I'm sure they could have tried harder to make it really good family entertainment, and if only they had avoided the negative things I've pointed out, there would have been a good chance that they could have made it happen.

I first saw the film on my 10th birthday, and to this day, when Omri sends Little bear and Boone back to their plastic-fantastic lives, it still makes me well-up. The on-screen friendship between Omri and Little bear is amazing, and is seen as loving and trusting.I have often sat in bed when i have felt under the weather and watched this film over and over again. It's simply a heartfelt and highly original story and i will continue to enjoy watching it, now and forever.I am in the process of reading the trilogy in paperback, and am thoroughly enjoying it. It will be so nice to one day read it to my own children, and i hope they, and others enjoy it as much as i am right now.If you get a chance to see the film or read the book, please do - I know you'll love it as much as i do.