Amor, fantasía y aventura

As I watched "Olly, Olly, Oxen Free", the film sure felt like a Disney film made back during the 1970s....and one intended for kids. I stuck with it regardless, as I've seen all but three of Katharine Hepburn's movies...and after this one, just two.

A couple boys want to do something for dead Grandpa's birthday...to inflate the old hot air balloon the man used to use as a performer back in the 1920s. They manage to enlist the help of a strange woman who owns a junk yard (Hepburn) and together, the three of them repair the old balloon. But will it fly? And, if so, will it end up killing them?!

I noticed the reviews for this film were all over the place. While I do agree it's not among Hepburn's better films, I've seen enough to know off the top of my head that she made two much worse films..."Spitfire" (where she plays a rootin', tootin' tomboy of a hillbilly!) and "The Dragon Seed" (where she plays a Chinese woman!!!!!!). And, she probably made a few others which were worse.. But considering all the truly great films she made, these sub-par films are certainly the exceptions!

So why didn't I love this one? Well, the plot was hard to believe...especially once they inflated the balloon. Also, as a kids movie, I could also imagine this actually boring children. Overall, an odd but not terrible movie.