Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

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

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

I expected some sort of supernatural-type hero story with he likes of Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and Jhn Henry, but this movie was more like a regular adventure. It reminded me, in some respects, of an adventure out West such as White Fang. It was that kind of story.The kid in here, "Daniel Hackett," played by Nick Stahl, was a little annoying for awhile, the typical snotty kid they like to show in the movies, but came to his senses by the end and wound up a decent kid who respected the people he was supposed to respect.Meanwhile, all the characters including bad-guy "J.P. Stiles" (Scott Glenn) were a lot of fun not only to watch but to listen to, with some good dialog. In all, it was lightweight fun and a good adventure story rolled into one. Patrick Swaze was a hot as "Pecos Bill" and Oliver Platt equally fun as "Paul Bunyan," and who doesn't admire big "John Henry" (Roger Aaron Brown)?Why this is not available (at least in Region 1) on DVD is a mystery to me. It's just a fun movie - pure escapism for more than just kids.

Tall Tale: A movie that tells a tale of a boy growing up in the 1800's. Cars were just coming into fashion (his interest was what got him into all this trouble in the first place). It goes on, into the Sahara Desert, through fights with bad guys, standing up to Paul Bunyan (one of the best quotes of the movie is at this point), basically any sort of adventure you can imagine! While the message is aimed at children, it can be useful for adults, too- loyalty, friendship- and it's not preachy. It has many adventures, and a damn fine blue ox to boot! Patrick Swayze's dry humor is perfect for the role, as are the roles of Paul Bunyan and John henry equally well played. The young kid did a great job too- it must have been AWESOME to ride that horse!!! If someone is looking for a lighthearted adventure, Tall Tale is the movie for you!!!!!

I thought this movie was excellent for older children and adults. Tall tales are such a large part of our culture and others as well. Sometimes a person has to make a stand to protect his or her way of life and I think this movie does that in a way that is easy to interpret. It would also stay in our minds as a life lesson. Rosa Parks stood alone on that bus in Montgomery, AL. The boy in this movie took a stand too. He never hurt anyone either. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took a stand without any violence and look what happened! The boy's father was an inspiration to his son. Our youth of today need these things. They need someone to look up to by example. I'd highly recommend this movie for all ages! I watched it twice in one day and will do so again and again.

Disney fantasy set in Old West America at the turn of the century: young farm boy, imaginative but unhappy, dreams up Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and John Henry when the family farming 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, all 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, and its heart is certainly in the right place. Not the popular, rousing family affair that the Disney folks probably hoped it would be, though. *1/2 from ****