Mysterious reclusive magician the Great Zamboni (an excellent performance by Ben Kingsley) and his pet jaguar Shadow reside by themselves in the Spooky House, an old mansion that's rigged with magic tricks and hidden chambers. Young orphan Max (an appealing portrayal by Max Weinberg) attempts to befriend the gruff and unsociable Zamboni. When a trio of bullies who work for eccentric local crime queen Boss (robustly essayed with lip-smacking hammy relish by Mercedes Ruehl) chase Max and his friends into the Spooky House on Halloween, a night of hilarious magic and amazing illusions ensues. Director William Sachs, who also co-wrote the pleasant script with his wife Margaret, relates the entertaining at a brisk pace, maintains a winning good-natured tone throughout, offers plenty of amusingly goofy and inoffensive humor, and neatly evokes a playful ooga-booga Halloween atmosphere. However, it's the relationship that develops between Max and Zamboni that gives this film a tremendous amount of heart and warmth, thereby making it quite special and moving (the upbeat ending in particular is simply lovely). Jason Fuchs, Ronald Joshua Scott, Simon Baker, and Chaz Monet do solid and engaging work as Max's loyal friends. A pre-"Ginger Snaps" Katharine Isabelle has a ball as mean head bully Mona. The groovy soundtrack, Thomas Burstyn's sharp cinematography, and Gary Schyman's lively score are all up to par. A nice little movie.
Review of Spooky House
