This is a New Zealand drama about young Geoff Crome (Stephen Fulford) who meets Firpo (Stephen Papps), an odd guy who dreams of being an Olympic athlete.
The friendship of the two leads is odd but touching. Firpo's Olympic aspirations along with Geoff's imagination of medieval times provide a creative but odd mix. Throw in the loving parents (Paul Gittins and Gabrielle Hammond) and the love-hate relationship between Geoff and his younger brother (David Taylor), you will get quite the dose of dramatic misadventures.
Much of the characters' acting is whimsical with a childlike innocence.
This can be both touching and annoying at times, especially having to deal with the Firpo character's yells, screams, and squeals. You will definitely have to suspend reality to soak in movie's entire beachside setting, Firpo's Olympic fantasies, and Geoff's imaginative medieval world. While the story is touching, the plot does drag at times.
There is a racing scene which will make you root for Firpo, but of course, the harsh feeling of reality sets in afterward. But this movie does remind you it is OK to escape the sufferings of reality at times and let your imagination take center focus. That is what all we have sometimes to escape this harsh world.
While this movie might be obscure to most Americans, those who watch it might find some familiar actors if they're into the Hercules and Xena fame: Lucy Lawless, Ray Henwood, Alison Bruce, and David Taylor.
Grade B-
The friendship of the two leads is odd but touching. Firpo's Olympic aspirations along with Geoff's imagination of medieval times provide a creative but odd mix. Throw in the loving parents (Paul Gittins and Gabrielle Hammond) and the love-hate relationship between Geoff and his younger brother (David Taylor), you will get quite the dose of dramatic misadventures.
Much of the characters' acting is whimsical with a childlike innocence.
This can be both touching and annoying at times, especially having to deal with the Firpo character's yells, screams, and squeals. You will definitely have to suspend reality to soak in movie's entire beachside setting, Firpo's Olympic fantasies, and Geoff's imaginative medieval world. While the story is touching, the plot does drag at times.
There is a racing scene which will make you root for Firpo, but of course, the harsh feeling of reality sets in afterward. But this movie does remind you it is OK to escape the sufferings of reality at times and let your imagination take center focus. That is what all we have sometimes to escape this harsh world.
While this movie might be obscure to most Americans, those who watch it might find some familiar actors if they're into the Hercules and Xena fame: Lucy Lawless, Ray Henwood, Alison Bruce, and David Taylor.
Grade B-