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Tim Allen and Michael Lembeck (director) have done it again! If you liked the original, and the first sequel, then number 3 will not disappoint. Of course, if I was one of the decision making executives at Disney, I would end the franchise here and consider myself lucky that the company has turned out three successful Christmas Classics. Of course, I'm not a Disney executive, but I hope they take my advice anyway.

All of the cast members from number 2 are back with the exception of David Kromholtz (as Bernard, the head elf). Kromholtz was probably tied up with his show Numbers, but his presence is missed. Spencer Breslin as Curtis, has grown into his role (and gotten a deeper voice in the 4 years since part 2), but he just doesn't have the same screen presence as Kromholtz.

The film moves along at a quick pace, and Martin Short steals every scene that he's in as the devilish Jack Frost, who learns a valuable lesson about himself by the end of the movie. Eric Lloyd is underused as Scott Calvin's son, but Judge Reinhold and Wendy Crewson are delightful once again in their original roles.

I'm not going to ruin any plot twists in the film, but there is an interesting homage to "It's a Wonderful Life", that provides a revealing look at a parallel reality that could have occurred if events had not transpired as they do in the first film.

I'll close by saying that this is a fun family film, and definitely one that the kids will enjoy. It helps if you've seen the other two films, but even that isn't necessary for enjoyment of this outing. I found it more entertaining than the second film, but doesn't quite have the heart-warming impact of the original. When this comes out on DVD (and you know it will), it will definitely be a movie worth adding to your collection, especially if you own the other two titles in this series.

Adrian Everett's dreams have been answered!! MGM/UA has released this title and Huck Finn (in which child actor Jeff East reprises his role as the title character) on DVD. My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that MGM opted not to release the film on DVD in the widescreen format. The title and end credit sequences are in widescreen, while the remainder of the film is "modified to fit your screen". Much as I prefer widescreen films presented in their original aspect ratio, Tom Sawyer does not lose anything by being "panned and scanned". If anything, the full screen presentation enhances the performances of the child actors, allowing them to fill the screen with their winning personalities. Johnny Whitaker as Tom, and Jeff East as his rag-tag friend Huck, really light up the screen in every scene they are in, but it is Jodie Foster, as Becky Thatcher, who steals Tom's and the audience's hearts.

Most of the musical score is forgettable, but overall, the Sherman brothers have once again done an admirable job. Several of the songs, such as "Free-bootin" and "Gratifaction" will stick in your head. But it is, "River Song", as performed by Charlie Pride, that will bring a tear to your eye as you think about lost childhood. "...a boy is gonna grow to be a man, be a man. Only once in his life is he free. Only one golden time in his life is he free."

I highly recommend this film, and this DVD to anyone who is a Tom Sawyer fan. All of the storytelling elements of the earlier David O'Selznick production are here, and with the exception of the music, the two films are very similar. While it is the child actors that really sell this film, I cannot overlook the memorable performance of Kunu Hank (apparently in his only film role) as Injun Joe.