Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Movie Review

Toys to life.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 21, 2015

There's a growing segment in the video game industry known as "Toys to Life." It's a concept that allows players to purchase physical toys, place them on a base (or "portal"), and see them spring to life on the television screen in the digital world. It started back in 2011 with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and has grown...and grown...and grown to include no less than four additional Skylanders games (and hundreds of figures), three Disney Infinity games (and dozens of figures), a LEGO-branded franchise that's about to hit the market, and tons of (mostly) hard to find Nintendo Amiibo figures that, as of right now, are currently limited in usage by an absence of software that takes real advantage of them, at least in the way the other franchises allow. But, at the end of the day, they're just toys fitted with hidden NFC chips that send a signal to the software to unlock a digital figure that's already in the game. It's a neat (and very costly, as the Liebman household has come to know) concept. But what if the toys could actually come to life in the real world? What if the "portal" wasn't just a plastic base and a USB cable but instead an old wooden cupboard unlocked by an heirloom key? What if sticking any toy inside of it -- whether it had a chip in it or not -- could transform it into a living, breathing thing? That's the idea behind The Indian in the Cupboard, a 1995 film directed by Frank Oz (The Dark Crystal) and based on the novel of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks.

Where the magic happens.

Omri (Hal Scardino) is having a good birthday. He's surrounded by family friends and gotten his hands on the skateboard (with helmet) and action figure he wanted. But he also receives a gift that's out of left field: an old wooden cupboard. His mother (Lindsay Crouse), who has been collecting keys since childhood, helps Omri find one that will open and lock the cupboard. He places inside of it a small Indian figure given to him by his friend Patrick (Rishi Bhat). The following morning, Omri makes a startling discovery: the Indian is alive. He's no taller than the lifeless figure he once was but he's very much a real man, with real fears, questions, cravings, a past, and he hopes, a future. Omri experiments with other toys in the cupboard but grows close to the Indian, who calls himself Little Bear (Litefoot), but his existence is a secret Omri decides is best left between him and his new friend.

The Indian in the Cupboard never overwhelms its audience with sappiness, social commentary, or excess fluff. It's a tight, honest, well paced, technically solid, and warmly approachable little film that focuses on friendship and understanding others through the prism of discovery, where the magic is less about the actual transformation but instead the bond that grows between Omri and Little Bear. That magic cupboard, in fact, is never explored to any real in-depth extent, leaving it to the imagination or, better, as a simple tool, a gateway, to the core elements of companionship, personal and interpersonal growth, and heightened awareness of oneself and others. The film paints its characters simply and creates depth out of their relationship, and through all phases of it: the shock of discovery, the growing companionship, the gradual understanding of cultures, the challenging rifts, and the returns to balance. The film is a celebration of humanity, of coming together, of finding common ground. It intermixes a bit of silliness with a lot of seriousness that never feels all that heavy despite its depth, but at its center is a simple film with a steadily beating heart that invites audiences into a world for a magical but, much more important, grounded tale of friendship.

While the movie shines as a simple story of friendship, its magical properties still excite, probably more so in the audience's mind and less in the actual movie. Beyond the first few little shocks that the cupboard can bring toys to life -- those initial moments when Little Bear springs to life or when a group of toys including Darth Vader, RoboCop, a dinosaur, and some others do battle in the film's single moment of frivolous indulgence -- it maintains an air of plausibility because that story of friendship easily supersedes the magic. Even as the film works very well on a core dramatic level, it opens a door for the imagination to play out various scenarios of fantastical whimsy, wondering what might happen if this toy or that, and in countless combinations, were to be placed in the cupboard. How about a "settle-it-all-brawl" between Skylanders, Infinity, LEGO, and Amiibo characters?. Trigger Happy vs. Mickey Mouse vs. Unikitty vs. Mario. Cool. The imagination really is a great thing, and that The Indian in the Cupboard blends it with real life sensibilities is a very special -- magical -- gift indeed.

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Indian in the Cupboard comes to life on Blu-ray with a top-shelf 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K master. The image isn't the most vibrant in the world. Colors aren't aggressively bold, but neither are they in any way dull. "Reserved" might be the best word. Shades of red, natural exterior greens, and other examples of the brightest shades usually impress with consistently and accuracy. Details are strong, too. The image is perhaps a hair -- a hair -- soft, but it enjoys a good, natural, filmic quality to it, accentuated by a very light and even grain structure that helps accentuate details, like the wooden cabinet, skin, grasses, and clothes. The image is consistent in its evenness and attention to fine detail. Black levels aren't problematic and neither are flesh tones. There's no evidence of more than trace bits of print wear and there are no discernible examples of macroblocking, banding, aliasing, or other troublesome additions. This is a rock-solid catalogue effort from Sony.

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Indian in the Cupboard's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack supports the movie with efficiency and attention to detail. The track offers a nice spread of basic sound elements presented with a refined effortlessness. Music is richly clear and nicely spaced across the stage, with positive instrument definition, naturally enveloping surround, and a positive low end weight. Supportive sound effects like cracking thunder and deliberately over amplified gunshots coming from a television are precise and enjoy a good amount of depth and potency. Minor ambient effects -- outdoor elements at a skate park, basic school classroom and hallway sounds -- are presented with positive immersion and placement. Dialogue is the star, however, and it's delivered with effortless clarity and natural center placement.

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Indian in the Cupboard contains a commentary, a new retrospective featurette, a vintage short, and some Goosebumps related extras.

• Audio Commentary: Director Frank Oz delivers a thoughtful, even, nicely flowing commentary in which he discusses his initial attachment to the project, his thoughts on the film's emotional core, the film's technical construction, story, characters and performances, shooting locations, and much more. The track is insightful and should prove valuable to the film's fans.
• Little Bear: A Return to The Indian in the Cupboard (1080i, 13:09): Litefoot looks back on the movie, remembering his casting, meeting and working with the cast and crew, the film's core ideas, his performance, and anecdotes from the shoot. He also reveals some memorabilia from the filmmaking process.
• Archival Theatrical Making-of Featurette (480i, 3:19): A short look at the film's authenticity and characters.
• Goosebumps Sneak Peek (1080p, 3:01): A preview for the new film.
• The Cast of Goosebumps Reflects on The Indian in the Cupboard (1080p, 5:18): Dylan Minnette and Ryan Lee share a few thoughts on The Indian in the Cupboard, followed by a preview for Goosebumps, the same one, in fact, as noted directly above.
• Original Theatrical Trailer 1 (1080p, 1:55).
• Original Theatrical Trailer 1 (1080p, 1:47).

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Indian in the Cupboard is a film with just the right amount of wonder, heart, and purpose. It's simple despite its magical premise, approachable despite a fairly complex undercurrent, and fun despite playing without a lot of frivolous fluff. It's well acted, effortlessly directed, and the story is simple yet sublime. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Indian in the Cupboard sports high end video, a quality lossless soundtrack, and a fair allotment of extra content. Recommended.