Rating: - Takes me back to the days of the annual Halloween special!
"Casper Meets Wendy" is the fun-filled story of everyone's favorite friendly ghost, Casper, and his very first encounter with Wendy the good little witch! When sweet little Wendy finds herself the target of an evil warlock's scheme to stay on top of the witchcraft game, she and her nasty aunts must hideout at a sunny vacation resort. To their ghost-hating dismay, it's the same resort where Casper and his uncles are spending a relaxing vacation away from the grind of their daily scaring routine. Wendy and Casper quickly realize they are kindred spirits and become fast friends, but their relatives will have no part in it. They'll all have to learn to work together though, once the wicked Desmond Spellman's goons pinpoint their location.

Fresh off the heels of "Casper: A Spirited Beginning," family-friendly director Sean McNamara does himself one better in his second Casper outing, this time going for a stellar cast and all-out wackiness! The result should thrill the younger set, though it may prove too goofy for teens and adults who don't have a softer side for kids' stuff. Luckily, I'm a cartoon and family film lover, and, being an addict of the annual Halloween specials I grew up with, this direct to video offering is a real treat. Sure, it's loaded with moments that make you glad you're watching it alone, or wish that you were, there are bad jokes and bad acting to spare, but it also takes you back to the fun you had in your childhood with programs like "The Worst Witch" and "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't" (AKA "The Night Dracula Saved the World"). The outlandish costumes and low-budget effects scream Halloween special, and how can you go wrong with George Hamilton evoking memories of "Love At First Bite" alongside the likes of Shelley Duvall, Teri Garr, Cathy Moriarty, Pauly Shore, Richard Moll, and Vincent Schiavelli. And, let's not forget my favorite person on the planet, Hilary Duff, in her first starring role! Yes, this is back before Lizzie McGuire, folks. The current girl of my dreams is cute as a button here in her early days as Wendy the good little witch!

The truth is, this film is not for everyone. It's direct to video quality in every way, but it's direct to video that works. How so? Well, yes, there's a high cheeze factor, and even my dreamgirl Hilary clearly shows her lack of experience at acting during the first half of the film (she surprisingly improves greatly partway through). True, some of the lines that are meant as jokes just don't seem to make sense or seem to be in the wrong context, or are utterly ridiculous to an annoying point. Then, you have Pauly Shore, who hardly seems to take his role in the film seriously. Still, what makes this film acceptable and entertaining, and makes all of its flaws acceptable too, is the fact that it is intended to be a kooky kids film. It's all about being silly, and it does its job well, while still pulling off the cutesy, feel-good friendship moments too. Now, if you sit down to watch "Casper Meets Wendy" expecting to view something along the lines of the Steven Spielberg big budget theatrical Casper film, then you're going to be disappointed. However, if you even mildly enjoyed "Casper: A Spirited Beginning," or are just interested in anything starring Hilary Duff, you might want to give this one a look. The extras include the trailer for the feature, among others, and a nice little 6 minute and 39 second behind-the-scenes featurette. Pretty decent for a DVD that I would have expected to be bare bones. Pick up "Casper Meets Wendy" if you are a Casper fan, a Hilary fan, or are just looking for something cute to fill the void of a new Halloween special this year!

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