Casper: A Spirited Beginning

Casper: A Spirited Beginning is a 1997 American direct-to-video fantasy family comedy film based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost. It serves as a prequel, though it breaks continuity with the 1995 film Casper. The plot explores additional details surrounding the titular character's origins. The film was produced by The Harvey Entertainment Company and Saban Entertainment and released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on September 9, 1997, and was met with widespread criticism from critics. 20th Century Fox had previously acquired film rights to the character from Universal. The original VHS release included the US version of the music video for 911's "Love Sensation" as a special feature, though it has been omitted from the subsequent DVD releases. The soundtrack album was released on CD and cassette on October 24, 1997.

Plot
When Casper failed to show up at the Ghost Central Station, he instead finds himself in the world of the living where he befriends a young boy name Chris Carson, a 10 year old, who loves ghosts and the supernatural and has a workaholic father: Tim Carson who spends little time with his son as he attempts to tear down an old mansion to update the town. Casper also meets with the Ghostly Trio where they along with Chris are willing to help Casper become a better ghost. Meanwhile, a monstrous ghoul: Kibosh, who is head of the Ghost Central, discovers of Casper's absence, sent out his assistant: Snivel to find Casper and bring him back at once.

Why It's Not a Spirited Beginning

 * 1) Poor grasp of source material of the first film.
 * 2) This film can get flat, especially near the end when Chris and his father argue with each other.
 * 3) Chris' father, Tim Carson, who is dimwitted, can be somewhat cruel and unlikable, but at least he's nice, and can be somewhat entertaining (check below the Redeeming Quality's section).
 * 4) Much like the first film, the Ghostly Trio do stupid puns and horrific jokes.
 * 5) Some other actors from the first film never appear, but it has Ben Stein as the food manager and Rodney Dangerfield as the Mayor.
 * 6) In the beginning of the film, the name of Casper is never known in the first film.
 * 7) False Advertising: Most of the movie's advertising are with Casper, the Ghostly Trio, and new comers Kibosh and Snivel in the other world with the Ghost Central Station shown in the background, leading the audience into thinking that a lot of the setting is gonna take place there, but like a lot of bad cartoon adaptations into movies, the setting takes place on Earth, with the humans taking more of the focus, and the ghosts especially Kibosh and Snivel (despite being the film's main antagonists) take a back seat.
 * 8) Casper's story arc being second fiddle to the generic family drama between Chris and Tim.
 * 9) Poor acting.
 * 10) Overall long scenes.
 * 11) Dreadful computer-animation of the ghosts.
 * 12) Bad editing.
 * 13) Some of the Ghostly Trio is used to being known, but later in minutes they're not known.
 * 14) Too many continuity errors like Casper is going to train with the Ghostly Trio like pass though walls and float, but it can clearly be seen from the first minute when the movie begins.
 * 15) The opening is poor, and drags on for a bit too long.
 * 16) It doesn't tell us how Casper became a ghost, making this film COMPLETELY pointless.
 * 17) While Brock and his gang do get their comeuppance at the end of the film by getting wedges and stuck at a tree by the Ghostly Trio, it's not a real good punishment for them when they tried to KILL Chris by locking him in the old mansion that was going to be destroyed.
 * 18) An anti-climax with the film's main antagonist: Kibosh.
 * 19) Lame ending.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) The voice acting is still good.
 * 2) Casper and Chris are likable characters.
 * 3) There are some good funny moments here and there, like the Ghostly Trio terrorizing the townspeople.
 * 4) Entertaining dialogue, such as the way Tim Carson says "Wild and crazy guy day!" and "Yes it is!".
 * 5) Despite his lack of screen time, Kibosh being introduced, made a for a great edition to the Casper franchise as a whole, as well as being a more opposing antagonist, compared to the villains in the 1995 film, regardless of how anti-climatic the confrontation with him ended up becoming in the end.
 * 6) The idea of Casper going from a ghost who is trained to be scary to a ghost who used those trained abilities to help others sounds quite interesting.

The Movie
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Reviews
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