Reviews

If you are looking for something lighthearted that you don't have to think to hard to follow then this is spot on. The music and clothes and scenery are fun. However the acting of the main character, Frankie, is lacking most of the time. Her detective partner, Trudy, is a bit better and improves a bit through the series. Loved the secondary characters of Mary and Flo...they improve the acting level immensely and have a great repartee with the rest of the cast...I think a show with just the two of them would be a lovely bit of fun. A few things that bothered me was the lack of historical accuracy...both in the modern language used by many of the characters and the costumes worn by Frankie. The other characters costumes while perhaps not totally accurate for the period at least aren't glaringly modern like those that Frankie wears most of the time. There was also a glaring pushiness with "girl power" and interracial relationships which while I'm all for these in a modern setting, they are inaccurate for the 1920s. I think it would be better to teach people the way things really were and learn from them, rather than rewrite history to reflect where we are today (or at least where we would like things to be). Mary and Flo's work situations reflect these historical struggles better than the other two characters. Again, if you are looking for a bit of fun this fits the bill if you are able to suspend your disbelief a bit.

Not sure why all the low ratings. If you couldn't figure out from the trailers that this is a spoof of superhero movies, if you were expecting Stark and Rogers, then yes you will be disappointed. But if you go in eyes open, knowing it's a spoof, knowing McCarthy is in it, knowing Bateman has crab arms, you should be able to enjoy it just fine. I wish so called reviewers would stop taking every movie like it is supposed to be a cinematic masterpiece. Sometimes movies are just for silly fun, to make you laugh and to let you escape reality for a bit. This is one of those; a frivolous, goofy popcorn movie.

Have read the book many times over the years and have seen many adaptions. As an adaption, this strays a bit too far from the source material in my humble opinion. If you were to watch this keeping that in mind, then I think it is enjoyable. Two things about the garden...one, it is very little like the one in book (traditional English estate garden) but two it is truly magical and beautifully shot (cgi in evidence but whimsically done). It steals the show a bit in the second half of the movie.

Overall, the storytelling is a bit uneven and I think if they had stuck closer to the original it would have improved that. Dixie who plays Mary really warms up as the movie progresses and she is delightful to watch. The boys were not as high a standard, but gamely did their part.

While I enjoyed the movie I doubt I will watch it again, hence the 4 star rating.

First let me say that I have not read the books. Second let me say that even if I had read the books, this movie is dIsappointing. No character development, no emotional investment, scattered and minimal plot, uninspired performances, sketchy visual effects, the list goes on. Even the grand dame Judy Dench couldn't make this work. The only performance I actually felt was believable was Colin Farrell and I understand he only spent three days filming. At least HE didn't waste a lot time on it. The fairy world seemed plastic and stiff, more technological than magical. I think they spelled the last name In the title wrong...should have been foul...not fowl. Very disappointing Kenneth and Disney.

Jonny does an awesome job showing off small town Canada with humor, grace and a bit of sass along the way. A magical mix of history, often tragedy or catastrophe, and the power of the human spirit...comedian Jonny Harris (whom we LOVE from Murdoch Mysteries) shows what the strength of community and the power of laughter can do to turn the fortunes of hard-up and often forgotten small towns and villages around. The townsfolk are characterful, the locations are often breathtaking (we started a bucket list of places to visit) and Jonny is a hoot! That man will give anything a try...from trick riding to gymnastics and bull riding to belly dancing. And his stand up routine is hilarious while still showcasing the town in the best possible way. Go on Jonny!