Parents' Guide to

Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014)

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Lackluster version of classic Twain tale has some violence.

Movie PG-13 2014 91 minutes
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 12+
Talentless acting, both Tom and Huck were too modern,polished and clean to be taken seriously . I don't recommend it.
age 6+

Don't waster your time...

From the start the movie was very stilted and unprofessional-feeling. Val Kilmer's accent was seriously over the top (though it did seem to somewhat improve by the movie's end) and the plot left a lot to be desired. Just a very uninteresting depiction from start to finish- my kids couldn't wait for it to be over. Several of the adult actors spoke in the weirdest and outlandish ways (though they were serious characters) - the schoolteacher, Engine Joe, and so on. I say just don't waste your time and if you do- don't expect the movie to progress to anything better than what it started as.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

Writer-director Jo Kastner is earnest in his efforts to bring this classic to life. The narration by Val Kilmer as Mark Twain adds heart and insight to the story. Many of the book's iconic moments have been retained: whitewashing Aunt Polly's fence, Tom attending his own funeral, his budding romance with Becky Thatcher. The Mississippi River is captured as the lifeblood of the surrounding country. Unfortunately, too many aspects of the production are amateurish and clumsy. With the exception of Kilmer, most of the adult actors are weak and stilted. Though the river shots evoke Twain's vision, other sets and action pieces reveal the film's budgetary restraints. Twain's book is deserving of a great movie; sadly, this one doesn't fill the bill.

Movie Details

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