The Impossible Elephant
  Release Date: February 20, 2007 Tag Line: With a good friend by your side, anything is possible. Description: Tormented by a giant bully and dealing with the loss of his mom, young Daniel wishes for a special pet to have by his side. After discovering Lumpy—a real, live elephant—in his backyard, it’s as if his wish has come true . . . until his dad ships Lumpy off to the local zoo. Vowing to free his newfound friend, Daniel embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, reminding us that some friendships are unexpected, magic is real, and nothing is impossible! Running time: 94 minutes Rating: Not rated Scoop ReviewPlot: Edge Entertainment has put out a string of movies that requires a certain suspension of belief. (For example, one of them is titled The Legend of Gator Face.) Elephant is one of those movies, and you know what? I’m fine with suspending belief for 90 minutes or so. I get plenty of reality thrown in my face during the course of a typical day. Kids will like this plot because it involves an animal. Kids like animals for some reason. Go figure. Acting: Standard straight-to-video fare. However, now we know what happened to Matthew Broderick’s hot girlfriend in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. She plays the love interest in Elephant. (Jean-Claude Van Damme fans know she was also part of 1994’s Timecop, one of his better flicks.) Special Effects: None really, just a trained elephant, with some CGI-assisted special skills thrown in. No blood, guts, death, or dismemberment . . . which is probably why it’s a family film. Keep an Eye Out For:
Parent Appeal: Some of the comedy bits are nausea-inducing, but aspects of the plot, like the death of the boy’s mother and the divorce of the geek friend’s parents, give the movie a real-life tinge. The budding romance between the boy’s dad and his mother’s best friend is also semi-intriguing, mainly because we get to see the dad unload his baggage and evolve for the better. (Some people aren’t able to do that, which is why they make feel-good movies about it.) Anyway, enough of the sappy crap. I suspect this review has too much estrogen in it already. The Straight Scoop: This could have been better, but it also could have been worse. I was bracing myself for oral surgery-type pain, but I got a Nerf needle instead. That’s nice, but the E.T. homage/rip-off reminded me (as if I needed reminding) that this is not E.T. Since it’s a straight-to-video release, though, it doesn’t have to be. The standards have been lowered. And I do have to say, in all honesty, this is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen whose star character’s name is “Lumpy.” Take it or leave it, Elephant. Recommendation: This is an acceptable flick for younger kids, especially those who love animals. However, you’re on thin ice if your kids are 11 or 12. Today’s tweenagers are yesterday’s teenagers. Quality Rating: Three scoops Riff Rating: Three and a half scoops Reviewer: Matt Deutsch
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