The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)

	Directed by: Stephen Sommers	COUNTRY USA GENRE Adventure/Comedy/ Childrens NORWEGIAN TITLE Huck Finns eventyr RUNNING TIME 103 minutes
	Produced by: Laurence Mark
	Written by (based on the book by Mark Twain): Stephen Sommers

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Huck Finn	Elijah Wood	½
Jim	Courtney B. Vance
The Duke	Robbie Coltrane
The King	Jason Robards
Pap Finn	Ron Perlman	½
Widow Douglas	Dana Ivey	-
Mary Jane Wilks	Anne Heche	-
Susan Wilks	Laura Bundy	-

Review

Stephen Sommers' rendition of Mark Twain's classic is a high-spirited, well-crafted little film. It works well not only as a children's adventure but also as an effective dramatic story. The latter achievement is largely due to the acting, which is remarkably inspired across an impressive ensemble. Ron Perlman's Pap Finn is brilliant (you'd want him to be further explored, even though you realize it couldn't have been done in this film), Courtney B. Vance has depth as Jim, and the skilful duo of Jason Robards and Robbie Coltrane are having great fun as The Duke and The King.

However, a film about Huck Finn is always largely down to the actor in the title role, and few have done it better than young Elijah Wood does here. The film was his first leading role, and he hits all the right notes. Having delivered sensitive turns in films such as Paradise and Radio Flyer, you'd perhaps not expect him to fill the shoes of Huck Finn, but Wood has a captivating charm, an abundance of energy, and even demonstrates something of a rough edge. It was a performance that established him as the hottest child actor of this period, surpassing his colleague from The Good Son, Macaulay Culkin.

The direction by Sommers is impressive. Not only does the movie look great through his vivid lens, but the young director also has a great command of the film's pacing and atmosphere. He changes the tone of the narrative smoothly and poignantly, and even employs a few creative camera positions (e.g. when Jim wakes up), making The Adventures of Huck Finn one of the most vibrant versions of the Mark Twain classic (even though this one is exclusively about Huck and Jim; Tom Sawyer isn't even mentioned).