Secondhand Lions review

Directed by

Tim McCanlies
Featured cast

  • Michael Caine (Garth)

  • Robert Duvall (Hub)

  • Haley Joel Osment (Walter)
Ratings / Reviews

aelst's review

This is a nice kids movie set in America around the 50s or 60s. A kid is forced to stay with two old men, who have retired, and are rumoured to be very rich. The men are old and grumpy, and naturally distrustful of others, who are always after their money. The way 'proper' people dressed and behaved back then is really annoying. Did Americans really act like that in real life? Or is the only when they are on TV or film? The kids lines are a bit lame, but thats expected for a kids movie I suppose..

The old men are quite funny. I'm aspiring to be like them when I retire, I just need lots of money first. The movie has plenty of funny scenes, good costumes and flashbacks, and of course a feel good ending. There's a lion in it too.

3 out of 5 stars.

ratbag's review

"Secondhand Lions" features two old codgers, a pre-teen boy, scheming relatives, animals, romance, and some swashbuckling thrown in for good measure.

The acting was okay -- I'm not a big fan of Michael Caine (he seems to play the role of dirty old men a little too much), and Haley (from "A.I.") seemed a little too old for his part. Robert Duvall was the most convincing as the adventurous uncle with an incredible past.

"Secondhand Lions" is a good movie for children -- there is a dearth of good, decent movies for them nowadays (Disney just doesn't cut it, and Spy Kids and the other kid detective movie is just lame). I understood the boy's need to believe in his uncle's adventures -- all children need fantastic stories when they're growing up, I had "The Princess Bride" and "Neverending Story".