It’s hard to find solid Halloween films that the whole family can truly enjoy. And because most of them are from the ’90s, it’s also hard to find ones that holds up well enough.
Under Wraps has always been able to give me belly laughs. And after not seeing it for quite some time, I can honestly say that it’s just as enjoyable now as it was when I saw it as a kid.
The story follows three friends who accidentally bring an ancient Egyptian mummy back to life. They befriend him, name him Harold, and introduce him to modern society. The results are pretty hilarious.
With children’s movies, the goal isn’t to escape the formula–since kids don’t care either way–but to be entertaining within those confines.
In Under Wraps, the dialogue is snappy and actually quite edgy considering its audience. The child actors deliver it all pretty well too. They’re not cringey, setting it up so that the film is likable even before the mummy comes to life. Then, once Harold enters the picture, the narrative is able to build upon an already-solid foundation.
The film does get cheesy once or twice towards the end as it wraps things up, but it’s not enough to ruin anything. Prior to that, it shows heart in much more organic ways. What’s more distracting, perhaps, are the few fairly obvious plot holes throughout. You can chalk it up to being a movie for kids, but I can see how it might bother some older viewers. Though it’s not nearly as bad as others.
Under Wraps is a great movie to watch during the Halloween season, as the adventure is fun for both kids and adults almost equally.
It takes some pages out of the notes of 1992’s Encino Man, which has a similar concept–albeit more adult oriented. The filmmakers of this kids movie prove that they can get just about as many laughs with a film targeted at a younger audience. Very well done.
