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SYNOPSIS:
Little Manhattan is a feel-good comedy that's perfect for
kids and adults alike. In a city known for excitement, two
young friends are about to embark on the greatest adventure
of all. Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (newcomer Charlie
Ray) have known each other nearly all of their lives, but
when they come face-to-face in a karate class, they see each
other in a whole new light. Filled with all the magical, marvelous—and
maddening—moments of first love, this charming film
is fun for the whole family!
MOVIE
REVIEW
This is a charming movie that everyone will love.
It is, of course, a love story. And having kids on centre
stage, it makes the movie even easier for everyone to love.
While local cinemas did not screen this charming picture,
you’d want to own in on DVD if you adore stories about
finding your first love starring endearing kids.
Directed
by Mark Levin (writer of Wimbledon), the debut movie of this
writer-producer tells the story of Gabe (Josh Hutcherson),
a young boy whose parents have recently divorced. He finds
his first love in his former kindergarten mate, Rosemary (Charlie
Ray), who attends the same karate class as him. He soon experiences
the exciting feeling of falling in love for the first time,
and before he knows it, he learns notions of love which adults
may have long forgotten.
We
first saw Hutcherson in Jon Favreau’s Zathura: A Space
Adventure (2005), then we saw him in Gabor Csupo’s Bridge
to Terabithia (2007). Now that we see him in this 2005 movie,
we are convinced that he is a talented child which directors
should take note of when they want to cast a boy who looks
good, can act well and appeal to viewers. As the 90-minute
movie is told from Gabe’s point of view, Hutcherson
steals the show with his winning persona. Ray, a first time
actress, plays his love interest with charisma too.
There
are also some very nice computer generated effects used in
this movie. Watch out for the scenes where Gabe’s imagination
takes over, and pirate ships appear in the Manhattan skyline
– it is delightfully fun to watch these shots as these
are images that only appear in your mind.
Even
if the plot is nothing refreshing, the movie wins your vote
because of its sweet and enlightening mood. The actors are
capably cast, the story is authentically affecting, the shots
are set in picturesque New York, the tale is loveable and
heartbreaking at the same time – what’s there
not to love about this accessible flick? It will remind you
of your first love when you were 10 years old.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This Code 3 DVD contains an Audio Commentary
by director Levin and writer Jennifer Flackett (who
are also married), where you can hear how the kids’
safety had to be taken care of at all times, hence the need
to clear the traffic during the scenes of them riding along
the streets on a scooter. In the 3-minute Helmet Interview,
the husband and wife team shares with us how the studio had
a problem with Hutcherson not wearing a helmet while riding
along the streets. In the 4-minute Sheep Meadow Segment,
they talk about the romantic scene where Gabe and Rosemary
park sheep in the fields (they were composited sheep!). There
is a 6-minute From Scout to Screen follow
the filmmakers on various locations which eventually made
it to scenes for the movie. There are also four Deleted
Scenes running six minutes where you see Gabe approaching
a bartender to talk about Rosemary and the young couple sees
dancing couples on their way to a concert. The palette is
rounded up by a 2-minute Theatrical Trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc has a pristine visual transfer, while the audio is
presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital, or Surround.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review
by John Li
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