Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps

As a child of the 80s, I was intrigued by a film that promised to pay homage to the fantasy films of that decade...but also a bit skeptical about its ability to do so. That skepticism gave way to pure delight as the film delivered on that promise and then kept delivering.

The story's creative twists are charmingly and skillfully unfolded to us, and the film keeps a humorous and whimsical tone while delivering moments of actual scariness and suspense. The acting is uniformly terrific, from the two leads down to the tiny child playing Cupid. Jim Henson's puppets serve as a Greek Chorus of sorts in a way that engaged the children and amused the adults in the audience. And the broadening of the POV from just the goatherd to include the witch enhances the tension of the build to the film's very satisfying denouement.

The film carefully threads the needle between being a throwback to the 80s and commenting on the world of today. It's a joy to see something that unmitigatedly "feel-good," and it says a lot about this film that it has stuck with me in the weeks since I've seen it. I'd love to get to see it again and to share it with others of all ages.

It must be nice to have such good friends and crew members who all think this movie is a 10 and not one score under 10 given.

How did this movie get made?

Someone actually financed this garbage?

Good luck getting your money back.

The acting was beyond bad.

ChatGPT could have written a better script.

The directing, lets just not comment on that, I have nothing nice to say about that.

Hollywood is dead. Its that simple.

No more good ideas and even less talented writers / directors who can produce a descent movie these days.

For all those who gave it a resounding 10 out of 10, get your head examined. This movie was a train wreck and if you think this is worthy of a 10, clearly this is the only movie you ever watched in your life and never witnessed a well crafted, well written, well acted and directed movie.

Guys stop giving 10's.

This movie is a beautiful parody, with a noticeable low budget, but extremely entertaining. A mix of 80's fairy tale adventure with a touch of Benny Hill nonsense. A movie for all the family, with a cute story and great dialogues and monologues. If you give it a chance and not compare it to your favorite blockbuster, you'll find it's a little gem.

And since I still have to write 200 more characters to my review to be admitted, I might as well say that I logged in to this site after years just so I could make this review because the amount of negativity in the reviews was bothering me. There. 600.

It is that rare kind of cinematic oddity that defies traditional notions of quality, effortlessly earning a place among those so-bad-it's-good films that viewers can't help but return to. The plot is delightfully absurd, wandering through medieval fantasy tropes with a charming lack of subtlety, like a fever dream conjured up in a basement D&D session. Characters are over-the-top and occasionally baffling, with performances that swing between campy earnestness and full-on melodrama. But for all its quirks, there's a strangely endearing quality about it-the way it fully commits to its wild, unapologetic weirdness without blinking. "Man and the Witch" is cinematic junk food, undeniably flawed yet irresistibly entertaining, the kind of film that begs for late-night re-watching with friends, a true cult gem for those who revel in the beautifully bizarre.

I absolutely loved this movie! Everything from the beginning when they explained the making and inspiration behind the movie, to all of the throwbacks to the 80s, which were incredibly nostalgic and I loved. I loved that it was a family project, and everyone in it just seemed to be having so much fun, and it was so contagious! The artwork and the throwback to puppets or just fun. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon at the theater with my family, Just a delight!

Full of slapstick humor that made me laugh and clap out loud. Neverending story was one of my favorite childhood movies, and it was beyond fun to see the reappearance of the Child empress, and Christopher Lloyd. I am so excited to see part two, this will definitely be a classic watch and rewatch for our family! Thank you for making such a delightful film, I wish there were more like this!