Search for the Jewel of Polaris: Mysterious Museum (1999)

Fantastic!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

SEARCH FOR THE JEWEL OF POLARIS: MYSTERIOUS MUSEUM is another Romanian-shot children's fantasy feature from those guys at Full Moon Pictures. It's a laughable enterprise that attempts to present a 17th-century historical backdrop on a tiny budget. The story is about an evil wizard who goes around oppressing the villagers by miniaturising them and removing their mouths in a handful of cheesy scenes. Meanwhile, a couple of the usual bratty modern-day kids visit an old museum and are magically transported back to the same era, where they must battle said wizard. It's laughably really, with bad overactors overacting badly, really cheesy effects, and a general lack of effort all round.

This is a fun film for anyone, of any age, with imagination! (SPOILER____ALERT) Two teenagers, a brother and sister, time-travel My means of an enchanted painting of a medieval village. They soon find themselves INSIDE the village, and inside the painting! Getting home isn't easy, because a villain, named "Falco" insists on finding the "Jewel of Polaris". He already has the "Sceptor of Polaris", which originally held the jewel -- but the two parts were separated by wise men of the past, because although each part is powerful, when put together, they can help the owner of both parts to rule the world! Evil Falco already has many powers from the Sceptor of Polaris, alone...and the audience horrified by what he does. He just Cannot get the Jewel too! It's really hard, but the brother and sister from the future, together with friends from the village, finally manage a happy ending for all concerned.The acting here is top-notch! Even evil Falco is played with a debonair, and devil-may-care attitude, which somehow brings his evil into clearer view, than if he just was played as cruel. The rest of the cast, including beautiful Brianna Brown, is well-cast, and very, very believable. This is a "children's" movie...but it can easily be enjoyed by anyone, of any age, with imagination. It does not talk down to children -- a refreshing, and very welcome trend I wish other makers of children's movies would emulate. Sets, costuming, writing, directing, music, and just about everything else, (including the acting!), are believable and just right. If there was a 4-letter word or two in this movie, I missed them....the plot was so exciting, that's all I concentrated on!All through the movie, the brother and sister mainly were equal partners. But towards the end, the sister is shown to be captured, and it is up to the brother,, (alone), to seek out the Jewel of Polaris in the final stages of their quest. Allowing "the girl" to accompany her brother, and equally share in the danger and triumph of the final moment, would have been far more satisfying to those who, like me, feel "Girl Can Do Anthing"....(too!)All things considered, however, this is a superior movie for family fun!

This movie was, honestly, a great movie. I'd expected it to be more for little kids, but it's really a good movie for everyone. The characters in this movie are not as stereotypical and clean-cut as the characters in every other kid-type movie I've seen. Pretty cool. And how can you NOT love AJ Trauth?