Fantasy from Disney set in Old West America at the turn of the century has imaginative but unhappy farm boy dreaming up Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and John Henry after the family home is threatened by a slimy land-developer. Derivative story goes all the way back to "The Wizard of Oz" for ideas, with Scott Glenn playing a sort of Wicked Witch dressed in black. Other cast members--Patrick Swayze, Oliver Platt, and Nick Stahl--do commendable work, but film lacks real emotion and depth. It looks good, however, as photographed by Janusz Kaminski, and the picture has its heart in the right place. Not the popular family affair Disney likely banked on, grossing just over $8M domestic on a $32M budget. *1/2 from ****
Review of Tall Tale
