The Adventure Club is an independent movie now available on
Demand. The quaint story about three
spunky kids who pursue adventures for fun. Ricky lives with his mother
(Gabrielle Miller), and a new boyfriend (co-writer Robin Dunne). He’s got a
happy home life, but he’s looking for some excitement.
Over a family dinner, they reminisce about his grandfather,
an archaeologist who sounds like he would have been friends with Indiana Jones.
Ricky (played by Sam
Ashe Arnold), wants to follow in his footsteps, so he starts looking around
at his grandfather’s old things one night when he can’t sleep.
Things have been a bit quiet for the Club, until Ricky comes
across some mysterious artifacts from his grandfather. He’s eager to share it
with his club members. Meanwhile his friends Sandy, Dalila Bela, and
Bill (Jakob Davies) are
supportive, but skeptical.
Sons of Anarchy alum Kim Coates is the local pawn shop owner,
Ozzie, who’s their mentor, and a source of arcane knowledge. He’s a trip as he
works with the kids to help them in their quest. Billy Zane plays another key
role, bringing his trademark charm and menace.
The pacing of the movie is a bit challenging. While it’s a
nice throwback to the 80s movies like The Explorers (1985), kids today might
find it too slow. The writers Robin
Dunne and Fred Ewanuick sprinkle in some charming old time goodies like the
kids using walkie-talkies to communicate late at night.
The special effects look predominantly practical and basic,
but director Geoff Anderson and team work within the budget creatively. As the
lead, Sam Ashe Arnold does a great job – he’s earnest, but can handle a heavy
emotional scene. Ms. Bela is great with her deadpan delivery, and Jakob Davies
harkens back to the hilarious Rupert Grint.
The writers Robin Dunne and Fred Ewanuick developed a sweet
nostalgic story that is an antidote to the gadgets and screens that threaten to
destroy childhood. This is a fun family movie perfect for the weekend or a rainy
afternoon. No dumb phones allowed!
No comments:
Post a Comment