The Quest

'The Quest' is how this Australian production is named in the USA. In Australia it is titled 'Frog Dreaming'. In the UK it was ridiculously called 'The Go-Kids'. For me, the most appropriate title is 'Frog Dreaming' (it's the one which identifies most with it) but 'The Quest' also suits it well. The star of this movie is Henry Thomas. There's no denying that he was much more than just "Elliott". He was a very capable actor and one of the few child actors who grew up without trashing his life and that is one thing that I admire on him. Henry Thomas is Cody, a very determined boy with a strong will for adventure. So determined and adventurous that he doesn't hesitate to take great risks to find the mystery of the monster-like thing on a dangerous and creepy pond, even if that implies disobeying orders or advices. While the movie is predictable, it is entertaining and has a great deal of adventure. Henry Thomas, once again, offers a great performance (here as an adolescent and with an already changed voice). What enchanted me the most was the beauty of the exotic Australian scenario, all natural settings and a reminder of the healthy habits and adventures kids had back in the good old days, a completely different reality from today's deplorable habits and ideas of "fun". This is much more of an adventure movie but it also has some dark and sinister moments, which are creepier for being at night.

I have not seen this movie in over 10 years, but it must have been good because I still remember it. I saw it when I was 12 and it seemed really cool at the time. The plot didn't seem boring to me, kids looking for a lochness-type monster. Had a lot of dialogue, but good stuff. I remember thinking the young girl in it was so cute. That is the whole reason I looked this movie up, to see what her name was (Rachel Friend). Unfortunately, she never did much else. Anyway, I think pre-teen and young teens would still like this movie.

The stage curtains open ... I remember watching this as a teenager once, late at night, and liking it. Then as time went by, I completely forgot about it. As chance would have it, I came across it by accident, 30+ years later and decided to watch it again. After finishing it this time around, I had to shake my head and wonder why I liked it back then. Henry Thomas (of E.T. fame) plays the part of Cody, an American boy who loses his parents and has to go live in Australia. He is a bright and inventive kid who quickly wins over friends in the area. He takes it upon himself to investigate strange goings-on at Devil's Knob park where there have been some occurrences at a pond there. Believing it could be the mythological monster, the Donkegin, he sets out to find the truth. What it turns out to be is not what he expected. This film really is a labor to get through. The cinematography is cheap and sloppy. The acting pretty much non-existent, except for one part where Henry Thomas takes to tears (something he's always done well), and the story subpar at best. And the final reveal was pretty lame. This is not a good movie. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars out of 10 is because of its sentimental value. It does take me back to a fun time of my life. This is not a recommend. You would have to be a big Henry Thomas fan, or Aussie film fan - or, very sentimental about this movie to enjoy it. I wish I could give it a better review, but I wouldn't feel justified in doing so.

It sounds like a tagline for a dating site like "Sleepless in Seattle." It could be. There was an adolescent romance to contend with between main character, Cody (Henry Thomas), and Wendy (Rachel Friend). That puppy love saved Cody's life. Cody was an extremely reckless kid that finally did a stunt that should have spelled the death of him, but you know... writers. In his search for a "dungajin" (I'm sure I'm not spelling that right) he got himself trapped underwater. Notice how I said, "trapped underwater" and not drowned. That's because he miraculously found a pocket of air beneath some old mining equipment underwater. To complete the miracle his girlfriend/deus ex machina used some nebulous clues to come to the conclusion that he was still alive underwater though just moments earlier she was screaming how he was dead. Henry Thomas I liked you better as Elliott.

It must take some kind of odd, abnormally brutal 'talent' to take a 90 minute film and make it seem at least an hour longer. I don't mind a slow-paced film at all but in most of them things happened. Almost nothing happens in this movie at all. Henry Thomas, the star, doesn't appear for the first 10 minutes of the film. The effects or lack thereof are awful, it's almost a joke and then in nearly MST3K style they incorporate their low-budget into the story making you wonder what the 'monster' really was. Ultimately, this film is a testament to how a cool one sheet can suck you in for a terrifying ride.

I got an IMDb account specifically to review this movie; if that tells you anything. Before the internet existed, and then before torrents become viable, I had no luck finding it after watching it once as a rental; the other "The Quest" kept getting in my way. I spent a lot of time searching for a copy of this. It's difficult to explain the movie to people who aren't familiar with it, and the premise isn't so hot on paper. Objectively, it's not an AAA title, but it just might be my favorite film. There is a mythic quality to it; some primeval fascination - from the standpoint of an evolutionary biologist, I would say that there was good reason for our ancestors to pay a lot of attention to strange bubbles and ripples in the water, and perhaps for that reason, the mystery at the heart of this movie is eerie and compelling. Dreamlike is the best word for this movie - it doesn't make a great deal of sense, but it is invested with some cryptic and deeply felt meaning; like a strange recurring dream. Structurally it really is similar to both E.T., the Goonies and in a way Stand By Me; it has a little bit of star wars to it in terms of feel and aesthetic. The setting, the music, and the strange little premise take it away from those more familiar reference points and into a very strange place.

It's been a very long time since I saw this film. It was called "Frog Dreaming" in Australia. It has a simple, slow rhythm, like in "The Year my Voice Broke". It's not "ET" and its not "Close Encounters", and that's probably what bothers people who pick it up at the video store. Critics hated this film at when it came out at the cinema. I loved it.

I first saw this movie when i was 3 or 4, I'm 18 now, but i can still remember the first time i rented it with my mom and sister. We had picked it up simply by just looking at the box cover, it looked like a movie i might like, or so my mom thought. Back then, i thought it was just a plain old "cool" movie, i looked up to Cody's character in fact, but now when i look back, i find this to be one of the more interesting ideas in movie history, to me at least. See the movie and you'll see what i mean. ****

Cody Walpole (Henry Thomas) is a scientific, mechanically-minded, and ruggedly individualistic 14-year-old loner. He is also brave to the point of foolhardy, quite the daredevil-- except that he doesn't let anyone tell him what to do. Extremely inner-directed, what he dares and endures are come out of a quiet but fierce determination of his own prompting. He stumbles upon a seemingly haunted, God-forsaken spot in the Australian wilderness, a long-abandoned mine or quarry flooded with filthy brown water. He knows of an old hermit who spends his vacations living alone in the area. After seeing none-too-recent evidence of this man's presence, he calls out and searches for him and eventually finds his skeleton. It looks as though the man was literally scared to death. This place is not on any map and, after some further investigation, he hears that the local aborigines shun the spot as the legendary lair of a monster living in the murky pool, a being so horrible that the mere sight of it kills. The place seems to exude bad luck and gives everyone the creeps who goes near it. Cody believes that there must be a rational explanation for this phenomenon and becomes obsessed with the site and discovering the true nature of the creature in the water. This mission requires him to defy and disobey everyone in the local village, even his guardian, another individual so laconic and independent as to be a soul mate, who usually lets this resourceful boy do whatever he wants. Cody's steps in solving the mystery are breathtakingly lonely and dangerous. As much as I admire individualism and independence, it is difficult for me to sympathize with courage carried to such an extreme for no compelling reason. Although others have recommended this film for children, I can't agree. It is the stuff of which nightmares are made-- I think it could even give me some. And Cody's reckless behavior, despite his admirable traits, makes him something of an anti-hero. There is no denying, however, that the filmmakers have done a superb job with atmosphere and have captured some gorgeous wilderness scenery. I can understand this being among someone's favorite films. It is certainly different.

I have not seen this in 15 years but it has stayed with me enough to look it up here, (more than you can say for most films aimed at kids.) At the time I think we did watch it hoping it would be another 'Goonies.' What we found was different and slower but still fantastic at inspiring the imagination. Frankly if you found it confusing or overly wordy then you were either very young or pretty dumb. The pragmatic lead kid is sure there must be a rational explanation to an Aboriginal story about a spooky lake. He does indeed discover that the 'donkegine' is really just a donkey engine left at the bottom of the lake (maybe the writer was watching Star Trek the motion picture or something) but he learns about an alternate and interesting culture as well as I suppose grasping that there isn't an answer to everything out there. It's a charming 'coming of age' story that I'd like to see again.