Product Details

• Actors: Zachary Bennett, Gema Zamprogna, Christian Kohlund, Anja Kruse, Dietmar Schönherr
• Directors: Allan King
• Writers: Deborah Nathan, Helen Asimakis, Marlene Matthews, Willi Fährmann
• Producers: Brian Leslie Parker, Kevin Sullivan, Trudy Grant
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Lions Gate
• VHS Release Date: July 15, 1997
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1574923455
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,597 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars DVD is *not* the entire story, November 6, 2006

By 

Corey A. Doyle (North Canton, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: By Way of the Stars (DVD)

FYI, the DVD for sale is not the entire story as it was originally shown. There is roughly about 20/30 minutes of footage that was cut, assumingly to make the movie fit onto one DVD. Keep this in mind when watching, then surf the net to fill in the gaps that are left where scenes were cut. The scenes that were cut are ones that really aren't essential to the plot, however it does leave a few things hanging as to where they are and how they went from New York City to near Niagra Falls.

Aside from the unintended extra plot twists, this movie is full of drama, action and plot twists that ARE intended. This movie starts out in 1860-era Prussia and ends in the Wild West. The story follows Lukas as he leaves Prussia to find his father and grandfather in the Canadas and he brings Ursula - the Baroness - along with him for the journey. There are some death scenes that may be a bit harsh for the wee ones, most over the age of 6 or so should be OK with it as they are all handled delicately and without much gore. You know they are dead but there is little violence in the fact. The scenery is also quite breathtaking in this film.

All in all, the movie is a good one to watch but not one for the nit-pickers that freak out when someone ends up here without an explanation. Enjoy the story and the scenes and read up on the rest.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars ...Lost on a Cloudy Night.., April 5, 2007

By 

Reliable Reviews Too (Carmel Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By Way of the Stars (DVD)

Felix, Felicity, Gus Pike, and Chef Pierre La Pierre, visit the wild west (as different characters). Technically excellent in costumes, sets, attractive locations, by a good sized budget, with a steady pace,...yet unsatisfying without a good script.

Watchable, because it is visually appealing. If you are a "Road to Avonlea"-fan, you loyally work (sigh) at liking Felix and Felicity, though they make dumb decisions that are unlikely. You think the story is going to settle down, to a plot, develop likeable personality in the characters, build a believable relationship between two persons, and get better, throughout the two and a half hours,...but it never does. Young, female, fans of Zachary Bennett may enjoy it anyway.

Felix's father is unpleasant, and like most of the characters, is given no likeable personality. So the audience has no concern for him in his later imprisonment, or in his relationship with Felix. Too many disputes, without the balance of any fun, warmth, or charm. Felix is in hysteria through half the film. The script does not build a believable friendship between any two characters. There are no characters to admire, except briefly the peddler. There is no humor from the writer who created, so well, the melodramatic and humorous Ms. Pigeon Plumtree. The rescues are often convenient, and thus unbelievable. Several murders. There is no moral of the story. Not written to the audience of "Road to Avonlea", "Loves Comes Softly", or "Tom Sawyer". The writer has thought up scenes, and strung them together, which does not a plot make, and is without a target audience. Visually appealing, but no heart and soul. Hollow, without imagination, except the bird helping the imprisoned father, which is wasted, because we do not like the father.

"Road to Avonlea" is a series by people smarter than me. Walt Disney was a great story-teller. Walt knew he directed artists more gifted than himself. Yet, Walt never hesitated to pull their drawings off the story-board onto the floor if they did not work; and send brilliant people back to their drawing-boards to start all over again with some suggestions. The producer should have drawn from his contacts of excellent writers from "Road to Avonlea"; including Heather Conkie, Suzette Couture, and Hart Hanson for a story of interest.

I recommend instead: "Iron Will", "Wild America", "Newsies", "Tom Sawyer", "Road to Avonlea", and "Alaska" as better movies of children on adventure.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars False Advertising, May 28, 2008

By 

R D "native american media connoisseur/biolog... (Racine, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By Way of the Stars (DVD)

I am a big Eric Schweig fan, so naturally buying this product, I thought he'd be in it a lot! He is on the cover.... Well, no such luck, he is only in it for about 10 minutes total. Besides that, this movie is extremely long, boring, and cheesy. The plot is drawn out, and at times almot incomprehensible. I had to watch it in 2 segments because I almost fell asleep watching the first half. Tantoo Cardinal is funny but also hardly in it. Although I am overall content with it, I wish I had realised what I was getting before I ordered it.