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Show _The Salt Lake Tribune CALENDARFriday,May 26, 1995__ E4 Ghosts Carry Their Weight, But ‘Casper’ Felled By Ghastly Plot living-impaired.’’ Dr. Harvey comes to Whipstaff with his teen keke Casper daughter Kat matic effect — a major charac- ter’s death carries the same emotional weight as Kat's junior-high dance. (Christina Ricci) in tow Casper” the movie is everything Casper the Friendly Ghost isn't.Casper moves fast, is lighter than air and is cheery. “Casper pokes along, gets way too heavy and falls into morose schmaltz Casper, if you remember the old Harvey cartoons and comic books, is a ghost who wants nothing more thanto find a friend. He haunts Whipstaff Manor — a creaky old mansion in Maine, seemingly down the block from Stephen King’s house — along with his disgusting uncles, the Ghostly Trio: Fatso, Stretch and Stinkie When the gold-digging Carri gan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) inherits Whipstaff, she tries unsuccessfully to shoo away the Ghostly Trio. She ultimately hires Dr. James Harvey(Bill Pullman) a “ghost ychologist who, be- cause his wife died young, has madea career out of helping the There's a useless subplot about hidden treasure and a machine that brings the dead backto life. But the bulk of “Casper” shows Dr. Harvey wrangling with the Ghostly Trio and their disgusting antics, while Kat makes Casper’s phantasmic heart go pitter-pat (You'd think being dead would be a ghost’s biggest worry. No,it’s puberty.) The highlight of “Casper” is the special-effects work of Dennis Muren and his Indusirial Light and Magic crew, the folks who made the computer. d dinosaurs that roamed “Jurassic Park.” Casper and his uncles swoop, dive, manipulate objects and interact with actors flawlessly. Theresult is a perfection of the cartoon/live-action mix used so effectively in “Who Framed Rog- er Rabbit’ (which, like “Casper,” was made by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment) The ghosts hold up their end, but the humans behind the camera let them down. Thescript, by energy. First-time director Brad Silberling doesn’t move the movie with anyspeedorvitality. He also has no feel for appropriate dra- Ricci, without the deathly pallor she wore as Wednesdayin the “Addams Family’’ movies, is charming and intelligent. Pullman has some goofy moments, Christina Ricci as Kat Harvey, who befriends lonely Casper. Sherri Stoner & Deanna Oliver (writers on Amblin’s loony TV “toon “Animaniacs’’), has some good gags but not enough manic “THE SUMMERS FUNNEEST ROMANTIC COMEDY. and former * Monty Python” member Eric Idle steals a few scenes as Crittenden’s wimpy sidekick. Watch for some neat cameos, too. “Casper” (rated PG for mild language and some mature themes, like death) isn’t as empty as Amblin’slast attemptat a liveaction cartoon, “The Flintstones.” In fact, “Casper” tries too hard for substance — and a ghost with substanceis no ghost at all. i727 ls a Src aa etPy ye CALs 2 CHRIS 19siponnc ns, WWOR/NEW YORK s ANhaul eae sal a es eR WANTED Poeed inapiex Odo0a 964-7927 CREEKSIDE PYNEES 5-6°7 See. ‘3766 South Redwooe Ra. wnat 9:30 ‘OR DISC. TICKETS. TROLLEY NORTH: Gy Vu OF OPEN AT 8:45 PM PLUS CO Hit 4:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 NO PASSES OR DiSC. TICKETS starts eratthese selecttheatres! A Carmike puesSTROLLEY SQUARE mea 400 COTTONWOOD MALL Redwood Rd, 54th South 9696266 TthEast & 5th South 466-6266 5001 S. Highland 278-4711 Independent Century Theatres Cineplex Odeon REDWOOD DRIVEN CENTURY CINEMAS 9 SOUTH TOWNE CTR. 282 West 10600 South 576-9240 2nd East & 33rd South 486-0653. 3688 Redwood Rd. 973-7088 CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY OR CALL FOR SHOWTIMES »_NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED! aveaati AWBPAial i AGENena Sv aeNca Sai bia | eelae z EY f “THIS YEAR'S CL ASSIC ROMANTIC COMEDY!” au Les PeaSe “WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING’ IS A CHARMER!” “THE FIRST HIT OF TH E SU.MMERIS HERE!” “TWO THUMBS UP’ TO . EARN Neeea CRIMSONTIDE CAE Ieat Bh CEEUETam ‘gunaTe eeae mihi a MhKtSe om SeemaIN IVE LUAVE IML 3 pL ae Carmike VILLA 2092 8. Highland 466-6266 Carmike PLAZA 6400 Redwood Ad. 541th South 960-4266 Cineplex ‘Odeon /ADWAY ae 300 South Indopendent napwooo DRI 1VE-IN 3688 Redwood Rd. 973-7068 COTTONWOOD MALL NoWSOTNGL patattiiea at 500§. Highland 278-4711 Starship Theatres Carmike Independent GATEWAY 6 $400 Bont Ex, 15 292.7079 Redd SASoh 696288 ‘THE REEL THEATRE SANDY MOVIES 9 (8525 Wed 1900 South 5759878 9599 Scuth 7h Eat 571-0601 CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY OR CALL FOR SHOWTIMES |
