A lot of kids get into trouble. These two invented it.
1995-12-22
N/A
97 min
A mischievous young boy, Tom Sawyer, witnesses a murder by the deadly Injun Joe. Tom becomes friends with Huckleberry Finn, a boy with no future and no family. Tom has to choose between honoring a friendship or honoring an oath because the town alcoholic is accused of the murder. Tom and Huck go through several adventures trying to retrieve evidence.
Good enough.
It doesn't come close to Disney's other film from the 1990s featuring Mark Twain's Huckleberry, <em>'The Adventures of Huck Finn'</em>. In fairness, this one is more about Tom Sawyer than Huck, which is pleasing given they already portrayed Huck just two years prior.
The actor who depicts the latterly named character is Brad Renfro, who isn't all that to be truthful; he's fine, just not memorable at all. Jonathan Taylor Thomas, meanwhile, plays Tom and he is, probably, the best part of this production. He's cheekiness works well for the role. Elsewhere, Eric Schweig (Injun Joe) makes for a decent bad guy.
I like the vibe of <em>'Tom and Huck'</em>, I think it could've done without the love story but that doesn't hamper things much. I would say the film goes at a slower pace than I would prefer, it particularly drags ever so slightly towards the end. Still, I rate it... mostly thanks to Mr. Thomas.
A (much) smaller production from the Disney repertoire that everyone forgot.
No one can deny the quality and relevance of Mark Twain's work, even those who, like me, were never attracted to his books. Yes, I have never read Twain's books, even though they are available in good translations into my mother tongue. I never felt the desire or curiosity. This film takes advantage of two of its most important characters: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, two boys full of personality. However, it's the only thing it takes advantage of, creating an entirely new story for them.
It may not seem like it, but it is a film with Disney's approval. It is a film aimed at a teenage audience, with some maturity, and therefore has some violence and already addresses normal themes among teenagers, such as dating. The story created for the film is good enough for the effect it is, and for the film in question, but it is clear that the studio did not waste a lot of time or spend a lot of money on this production. On a technical level, the film meets the minimum requirements, but does not deliver anything beyond that.
Overall, the film is good enough to entertain us, but it is unlikely to leave a lasting memory in anyone's mind. It is absolutely forgettable, so much so that, nowadays, no one remembers it. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro are the duo of young actors who lead the cast, and they are really the only ones to deserve a certain type of prominence for the work they have developed. Eric Schweig and Michael McShane do smaller jobs, but they are the most valuable adults. The rest of the cast is an anonymous and indistinct mass like a ballet nucleus, moving and circulating without wanting our attention.
