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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Quest does have its moments ... but you need patience., July 20, 2000
This review is from: The Quest [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The plot in brief: young Cody, played by Henry Thomas of E.T. fame, is a brilliant and inventive youngster living with a family friend in Australia after he is orphaned. After he discovers the body of a man who appears to have died of utter terror at an old, abandoned, flooded quarry, he begins to investigate rumours the waters hide a Loch Ness-like monster the locals call the Donkigen. With the help of his friends and a mysterious Aborigine named Charlie Pride, he ends up solving the mystery -- albeit at the risk of his own life. By American standards, this film is very slowly paced and very innocent, which will no doubt lead to many bad reviews in this venue. If one is willing simply to sit back and let the film happen, as one must with many non-American films, one gains more appreciation for it. The opening sequence is a text-book example on how to create tension, at least, as is the underwater sequence when Cody goes exploring, and the whole is nicely filmed. What I especially liked is the balance between the rational and the magic; Quest constantly appears to be on the edge of the supernatural, only to pull back to a realistic point of view -- and yet you never quite lose the feeling that the magic is there, *almost* visible out of the corner of your eye. Although I have grown fond of this film, I must say in all honesty it is not a great one. Still, it is amiable; the tension, although it never quite sets your heart to racing, is nonetheless very real; and for those with patience, the film does have its rewards. A child spoiled by dazzling special effects and jaded by too many graphic horror movies would probably be very bored by it; but there will be children, and adults as well, who would enjoy it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Your Typical Film., April 3, 2002
This review is from: The Quest [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Henry Thomas (Elliot in E.T.) stars in this film about an orphan, Cody, being raised in Australia by a friend of his parents. Cody is a very resourceful, imaginative, and creative lad who is constantly building things and doing daredevil stunts. One day while on a picinic, he and some friends discover a mysterious pond and the body of an old man that appears to have died from fright. Tales of Aborigine black magic and sea monsters lead Cody on a quest to find the truth. This film is not your typical movie. It moves rather slow and often lacks energy from many of the non-American actors and the effects are quite cheesy. However, Thomas and the other young actors in the cast are completely believable and add some emotional depth to the story. The scenery is breathtaking (it is Australia after all) and there are some rather interesting scenes (the opening shot is a classic in how to build suspense). Overall, a film that most American audiences will find rather boring, but has it's moments if your looking.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most special film ever, July 20, 2000
This review is from: The Quest [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I was very young when I first saw the Film , but after all those years & now being 21 , I still think that this Film is excellent , and even more than that , there's something special about it. I think that everybody should enjoy THE QUEST, one thing is sure the story is great , because so interesting & so different from the "common" Films , I never saw such a story before , and I'll never see it again . Of course it hadn't got the budget of an hollywood blockbuster , but maybe the best Film is not always the most popular one. Here is an Australian Film , really well made , from a brilliant scriptwriter , and with a wonderfull soundtrack from the well-known Australian composer Brian May . I think that this is pure talent , Thanks a lot to the entire team , I'll go on watching it
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