Lee Eisenberg I heard about "The Borrowers" when it got released but wasn't interested in seeing it. Now that I've seen it, I can say that it's pretty enjoyable, despite the occasional crude humor. Much of it reminded me of the similarly themed "Mouse Hunt", released around the same time (I would avoid comparing either one to the overrated "Home Alone").It got released around the same time as three other movies co-starring John Goodman: "Fallen" (an obvious ripoff of Wes Craven's "Shocker"), "Blues Brothers 2000" (I must've been the only person who liked that one) and "The Big Lebowski".I had never realized that "The Borrowers" was based on a book until after watching this (there's also been a couple of other small-screen adaptations). For now at least, I'll only know this one. Pretty fun.The rest of the cast includes Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie (Dr. House), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Bradley Pierce (of "Jumanji").

NateWatchesCoolMovies This 90's adaptation of Mary Norton's The Borrowers books may not have much in connection with its much more benign, British source material, but it's still a rollicking blast of fun with jaw dropping special effects and a playfully wacky bunch of set pieces. The titular borrowers are tiny, 4 to 5 inch tall humans that live amongst us, often in our house walls and floors, "borrowing" bits and pieces of standard household items to make their homes, tools and clothes with. They're discreet, shy and industrious, and extremely distrustful of us humans. When Arietty gets spotted by a human boy, he captures her out of curiosity and learns about her species, much to the dismay of her wary father Pod (Jim Broadbent is great). The boy notifies her that their house is set for rezoning and demolition by order of a greedy fat ass developer named Ocious P. Potter (John Goodman hamming it up splendidly). This sets off a chain of high adventure, as the borrowers must try to relocate and must accept help from the human. The sets, props and costumes are all lovingly made and all seem to be set in an off kilter, Tim Burton or Dr. Seuss esque universe where everything is just slightly off, but amazing to look at. The chase through a milk bottle assembly line is a highlight. House himself Hugh Laurie shows up for a hilarious police officer role, and Mr. Weasley, Mark Williams is great as a goofy exterminator. It's a reunion of somewhat for the two, as they played the bumbling thugs in 101 Dalmatians. Goodman livens up every scene with his cartoonist belligerence, and the whole film has an energetic tone of revelry. Just don't look too closely for similarities to the books;)

Neil Welch The Clock family are Borrowers - small people living in hiding and borrowing full size human stuff for their homes. Dad Pod Clock has kept his family at home, so daughter Arietty and son Peagreen have no idea of a wider world, they only know that the first rule of being a Borrower is not to be seen by the big people. But Arietty is not only seen but captured by young Pete Lender, which coincides with the lenders being forcibly (and illegally) evicted by wicked property developer Potter so that he can demolish their home.This film has an air about it of using the original idea (I have not read the source material, so I don't know) and then doing its own thing with it: if so, it's not bad. The story fairly whizzes along, with John Goodman's Potter a suitably cartoon villain (just as well, given the Wile E. Coyote-type retributions he suffers for his wickedness). Production design is intriguing: the Borrowers world is nicely realised, and the larger world is based on 1950s Britain, but with many stylistic weirdnesses: heavy urban industrialisation, driving on the right, everybody in Morris Minors, mobile phones and monochrome TVs, and a colour palette comprising saturated secondary colours.The cast is good, and it is interesting to see a very young Tom Felton, unrecognisable under corkscrew ginger wig and huge false gap teeth. Only Flora Newbigin as Arietty disappoints, with some line readings which ring false.

beguynuy A movie is set in England. It about friendship between the borrowers - the Clock family and the lenders. At first, they don't know about each other, but then, because of the curiosity of Arriety - Pod's daughter, Arriety and Pete become good friends. After that, Arriety and her brother - Peagreen - accidentally take part in an adventure when they fall out of the lorry while they are moving with the lenders to the lender's new house. Arriety and Peagreen save the house from being demolished by an evil lawyer named Peter. At the end, the Clock family and the lenders become close-friends and they live happily together. A movie has special effects and a good cast...it's a great movie for your weekend with your family.