DVD Review: TOM SAWYER & HUCKLEBERRY FINN

Based on the classic novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” comes the newest adaptation of this timeless tale. The story unfolds as Mark Twain (Val Kilmer) narrates his masterpiece and brings his beloved characters to life. Tom Sawyer (Joel Courtney) has nothing but pranks and mischief on his mind, but luckily his fearless friend Huckleberry ‘Huck’ Finn (Jake T. Austin) loves adventure as much as he does. When the daring duo witness trouble in a graveyard, Tom and Huck are thrown headfirst into adventure, putting their courage to the test!

Written and directed by Jo Kastner and based on Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” TOM SAWYER & HUCKLEBERRY FINN stars Jake T. Austin, Joel Courtney, Katherine McNamara, and Val Kilmer. Gabriel Georgiev and Jo Kastner are the producers, and Andrew Relis and Marcus Weinhart are the Executive Producers. 

My Thoughts 

Tom Sawyer was one of my favorite movies/books when I was a child, so I was excited to see this new rendition of a classic. However, I found the film somewhat disappointing. It wasn't terrible, just not what I was expecting. The actors lacked the emotion that would allow me to connect with them, which made it difficult to feel for their plight. 

There were some redeeming qualities. The murder scene was well done and the backdrops were historically accurate. I was also glad to see the whitewash scene was included. The film actually stayed pretty true to the book, but overall, I had trouble getting into it because the characters just felt hallow. My children, who have not seen the other movie versions or read the books yet, did enjoy it more than I did. So as a family movie, it might be worth watching, if only to introduce them to a modern version of the classic and perhaps peek their interest in reading the books.