On the surface this has lots of weak acting by the kids, a particular verbal style, and I like the review that suggests that being tolerant is worth it, that these are just kids after all. These days there is a rather high standard in the quality of stories on film, but most of the best include flaws. Including deliberate flaws. The 'weak acting' is glaring, more than is often the case, but look the other way there is a story and, cringe of cringes, I wonder if the weak acting is actually a built in part of the story. To guess that I look to the final scene when ghost catcher is definitely wearing a bra. It seemed likely before but here the broad strap around her back stands out under her top. Also, the ham verbal style is gone. That disappeared after the ghost showed catcher an object that catcher needed. As a double check, if one looks to other features that the ghost catcher, Brittany Robertson, has had a part, small roles in Jesse Stone, Night Passage (2006) and Keeping Up With The Steins (2006), there is varied styles of acting of solid quality. To like this I needed to be able to shrug off the flaws. If the ham is deliberate I would prefer otherwise in this case. I still found it practical to get to like this. I assume that the very young might like this story and to them the flaws might not be blatant, more the way that stories for the very, very young sometimes are? Those who are returning to childhood. Those who have been sunk to the level of ghost might find Ghost Club to be easy to work to like. If not seen too often. Others, well it is called the The Ghost Club, after all. This does not have the popularity rating of an animal's shrieking shack. Further, what the story is, I am not so sure that is a relevant issue. What counts is other. There has been an adventure that entailed spy and inventor and younger brother and occasionally older brother joining ghost catcher to save her family, with the help of someone long dead. Ghost catcher grows in a rather nice and well rounded way and that is what counts. * From a different angle. If I take the story seriously it makes for an interesting comparison with My Girl (1991). That has Vada facing a disastrous rite of passage that leads to her wearing a symbolic bra. It has a much wider appeal than the Ghost Club will ever have. My Girl is not a story for the youngest, though.
... View MoreI just rented this for my children from TWC's OnDemand. I couldn't finish watching it and I don't even think my 6-year-old will make it to the end. Frankly, we're all mad because we were charged $3.95, the same price as a new movie. This movie is lame in EVERY cinematic category. Nothing personal to the child actors. Your criticized performance is not your fault. That's why you have a director. Unfortunately, the director did not have a director. I just rented this for my children from TWC's OnDemand. I couldn't finish watching it and I don't even think my 6-year-old will make it to the end. Frankly, we're all mad because we were charged $3.95, the same price as a new movie. This movie is lame in EVERY cinematic category. Nothing personal to the child actors. Your criticized performance is not your fault. That's why you have a director. Unfortunately, the director did not have a director.
... View MoreAs far as Kid Actors, you can't get much better. Maybe "The Sixth Sense" or "Road to Perdition" but those are not for kids. The plot might be a little far fetched but what movie isn't? It is refreshing to see how little kids can entertain us old folks for an hour and a half. I was holding my breath and almost passed out when the little runts entered the haunted house. So scary, so well filmed I could only scream aloud, "Wow that's some good stuff"! It reminds me of how "The Exorcist" made me feel: the nervous sweat, the rapid heartbeat, and the dry mouth. The only cure for what I got would be a quick release of the sequel. Anyhow, I loved this movie so much I bought the video and recommend all kids under fifteen to go out and buy this silly little flick. Peace Out.
... View More**some spoilers but you really have nothing to spoil**This has to be some of the worst acting i have seen in a very long time. It's bland, non inspirated, and frankly, nobody is even trying. That said, this movie goes all over the place. For a ghost story it throws in debt, corporate management, struggling parents, small town buy out, you name it. So at the end of the day, the kids save the day by raising 300k, which their mom owes the IRS so she won't have to sell the shop to the corporate suits which want to build something in its place. Even for a kids movie, it's stupid, and even my girlfriend's 6 year old sister didn't laugh... which is why i was watching this in the first place.
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