GhostHunters
DIRECTOR: Tobi Baumann
CAST: Milo Parker, Anke Engelke, Karoline Herfuth, Christian Tramitz, Christian Ulmen, Julia Koschitz
CLASSIFICATION: 8-9 PGL
RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes
RATING: 2 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
Men In Black meets Ghostbusters in this children’s movie based on a Cornelia Funk book. It is simple and simply told, with silly scares and a safe resolution, so aimed at the children who want to be scared, but not too frightened.
It features a smooth green glob of a ghost that seems to be a mixture of Casper the Friendly Ghost and Slimer from Ghostbusters, who provides the comic element. Hugo the green ghost is a clumsy blob, but ever so friendly and just a bit scared of the Ancient Ice Ghost who has driven him from his own home.
Then there is Tom Thompson (Parker) a scared little boy who learns that ghosts are real and just what it will take not to be so scared of everything. He discovers Hugo in his spider-filled basement and turns to professional ghosthunter Hetty Cuminseed (Engelke) for advice.
The third ghosthunter in this unlikely team has been suspended from the Central Ghosthunting Institute.
The story follows a very singular and predictable path – there’s the set-up and introduction of the three characters, a second act of them getting to know each other and a third act where they confront the big bad, followed by an extremely swift denouement in which all is set right in the world.
Aimed very much at little people who don’t notice so-so special effects, plot holes, logical inconsistencies, out-of-synch dubbing (it started off in German and the English was added afterwards).
If you liked Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism, you might like this.