Magic in the Water 1995

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: If Magic in the Water had been written smarter, both children and adults would have enjoyed it more. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: On the minus side are a heavy-handed dose of political correctness and a needless flight into dubious whimsy in an already fanciful situation. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Orky isn't shown until near the end, and then only briefly. At first, I thought this was an attempt to build suspense, but after a while, I began to suspect that the high cost of sea-monster footage was the real explanation. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: A singularly unconvincing parable, ultimately hamstrung by awkward, choppy storytelling. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Orky is very concerned with the environment and can repair relationships between parents and children. But Orky cannot save this movie. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: It's certainly not a good film, and I can't give it even a lukewarm recommendation, but there are isolated moments when the film works as well for adults as for kids. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: One of the problems with the first two-thirds of Magic in the Water is that we don't see Orky. One of the problems with the last third is that we do. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: I was so fed up with the bogus sentiment in Magic in the Water that I started wishing it were Harmon gasping for breath instead of the cheap rubber thing with the eyes. No such luck. Read more

Joe Leydon, Variety: Director Rick Stevenson and co-writer Icel Dobell Massey tell their fanciful story with an appreciable amount of wit and imagination. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: There's definitely something in the water here, but magic...? Read more

John F. Kelly, Washington Post: Despite these cliches, director and co-screenwriter Rick Stevenson has created some original moments. Read more