Well, I don't know what to say...honestly. I guess I can say that I loved it as a child, and it's getting the 10 of 10 based on remembering when I watched it through a child's eyes.
But there are certain tropes with this genre, and it hits the shortage of water trope, and the roller skate trope, but misses a lot of the others. So I do feel like it doesn't really sit well with the genre it's made to be a part of.
But then, it's made to appeal to kids AND teens, and it certainly did. The magic glowing ball from outer space with it's feel good happy vibes does give it a very Disney inspired feel... 1980s Disney.
And it is kind of rife with political messaging... and by that I mean 1980s political messaging, as in it's NOT overt, it's NOT in your face, it doesn't dominate the film... and because of that, unlike modern films, anyone can sit down, watch it, and get the points without feeling like they are being lectured to... but that was also when liberal political messaging was about love and peace and not violence and hate. So it is probably going to clash with modern norms that like propaganda.
And it is CERTAINLY going to clash with people that sit down and think they are watching a genre film.... because, again, it doesn't hit the beloved tropes of that genre and tries to tell a more original story within the confines.
It does work. Watching it in 2020 as opposed to when I first saw it when I was 6 and, it is dated, it did age, but it didn't turn to vinegar. It didn't turn to fine wine either. It just kind of aged with a little more grace than you would expect and still felt enjoyable and entertaining. It just didn't feel as epically good as it did when I was 6 and fell in love with the film.
It still deserves praise, even if it's intended audience are aging and expect something more, or at least more trope filled cheese.
If you see it, it's still worth a watch... but if you saw it in 86 it was fantastic.
