Mum's Monday: Casper

This film has a strong start to it, I mean some kids are prone to finding a spooky house a good place to ‘Take a picture’, it’s who takes the picture, where it gets interesting.

Continuing with the strong start we see where a money grabbing daughter, Carrigan (Cathy Moriarty) and her, good with words, observant sidekick, Dibs (Eric Idle) eventually inherit, said spooky, ‘Condemned’ house ‘Whipstaff’.

Well now they have met Casper (Voiced by Malachi Pearson) and the others, we meet properly later on in the film, and so the ‘Trying to get rid of them begins’. Sadly, even ‘Ghostbusters’ Dr Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) thinks they should call ‘Someone else’. This is cleverly done adding to the comedic aspect of ‘Whipstaff’ manor being beyond help.

It is good to see the demolition doesn’t go ahead, it would have been a shame for such an interesting house to be lost.

It seems Casper likes watching television and now he seems to be in love and has to let Carrigan know who he has found. We now see that Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman) and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) are off to ‘Friendship, Maine’.

After a slight disagreement on time scales and a loosely welcoming vase of flowers, Dr. Harvey and Kat have arrived. It is amusing to watch Casper practice his introduction, as he is not your normal would be friend. Sadly, practicing may or may not go to plan. it is heart-warming to see the people making this film have thought of everything in luggage and the contents of a person’s life in boxes. Now Kat has met Casper, well an interesting pillow so far.

And now we meet the others, the script is done excellently, Dr. Harvey has a not so easy job to do. But it is good to see Dr. Harvey won’t give up without a fight and a ‘This thing sucks’ thing. It is clever when Kat walks around in the morning with a hand held vacuum cleaner as a deterrent. It is lovely to see Kat actually meet Casper. Breakfast sadly, doesn’t stay uneventful for long though. Enter the others, the three uncles, Stretch (Voiced by Joe Nipote), Stinkie (Voiced by Joe Alaskey) and Fatso (Voiced by Brad Garrett).

Kat being of school age has to inevitably has to go to school. It could be seen as a bit of a cliché where there seems to be always one person, in this case Amber (Jessica Wesson) is popular or saves the day, we see no exception here as her parent’s boat house could be the original perfect venue for the school’s Halloween dance, well until Kat announces where she lives that is. Now we a clever Casper, he can tie shoes laces.

It is lovely to see a connection begin between Dr. Harvey and Stetch, Stinkie and Fatso, however, unexpected the outcome is.

Sadly, true to form as the boat house was rejected, revenge is executed. It is sad to see but the truth is Casper is a ghost but it doesn’t mean he can’t do anything, just different stuff to what the living can do. We can take this lesson in life people are good at somethings and not, others things. The bond forming between Kat and Casper is lovely to see but unfortunately it is still cold.

The father, daughter talk was nice to see, it gives more depth to the film as Dr. Harvey is still a father to a growing teenage daughter.

After we see the literal, if you want the ghosts to leave the house and they do, you have got what you wanted.

Dr. Harvey has done a good job raising Kat as she helps Casper remember his life and yes the dress is ‘Perfect’. It is so nice how it all comes together. to add to the story line, we find out how Casper passed on/became a ghost.     

We all know humans cannot walk through walls it is a pity but amusing Casper doesn’t to begin with. It is fun if a bit eccentric to see Casper’s father’s invention working.

Now we are introduced to the machine that can bring ghosts back to life. This part high-lights, you sometimes have to be careful who is watching and listening. A plot is being planned, but who will be the ghost? This is played out to the full. The plan at the house is not the only plot being devised this is also played out to the full, but in this case it is very unfortunate for Kat. It is so clever how Kat tricks Carrigan.

Now Casper saves the day and is rewarded to attend the Halloween dance which when it began the entertainment that started out as revenge, turned into amusement, helped by three mischievous ghosts, this is nice to see, and after Casper has a visitor we see Dr. Harvey now has a visitor also. This is lovely to see as Stretch, Stinkie and Fatso came good in the end. The advice given is well thought-out, it doesn’t hurt to get a little help in raising a teenage young lady.

Sadly, the party/dance didn’t last long as it ends in ‘BOO!’ ‘AGH!’, mass exit, but it was a roaring success, and now the real party can begin.