Normally I am not the kind of guy who is into familymovies as they all rely a bit too much on the silly parts of the human brains so I watched it as there was nothing else on telly, not expecting one good thing from it. But I was utterly charmed by it... Not that it are little people as I saw that trick too many times (Honey I shrunk the kids, Willow or even in the fourties there was Tom Thumb) but just because of the great decors! This movie takes place in the fifties and everything is made with a huge nostalgia sense (from the cars to the food the Borrowers are borrowing). In some house a boy discovers that there are little creatures living under the floor, once the family is out they "borrow" stuff to keep their household going on and it's like Indiana Jones filmed in Disneystyle (just watch the scene in where the daughter is stuck in the refrigerator). Sadly enough the little family Clock or played by redheads who all talk in a very Irish way and they play in such an arrogant Robin Hoodway that you wanna put your feet on them the moment they catch your eyes, just like John Goodman who in slapstickstyle who plays the role of a corrupt advocate who'd stolen the testament of the family so he can build his building complex (where have we heard this before?). The big family Lender and the Borrowers join hands to rescue the house and during 90 minutes the sole option that is left for director Peter Hewitt (who is now directing Garfield) is the chase for The Borrowers in where Goodman gets the help of some funny guy whose job is exterminating insects or little creatures. This is the kind of movie that can end up like The Flinstones or Scooby Doo but director Hewitt saves it all thanks to the impressive decors, the very nice special effects and a godlike performance from Goodman (who is just doing his usual thing). Not outstanding but it feels like this movie is over in 15 minutes just because of its charming slapstickstyle. Not a monument at all but a perfect movie to relive the child in you even if most of the kids won't be happy by the childish approach (the kids of today aren't living in the fifties you know...)
Review of The Borrowers
