The Quest (1986)

Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. Starring Henry Thomas, Tony Barry, Rachel Friend, Tamsin West, Dempsey Knight, John Ewart. [PG]

Precocious American lad living Down Under investigates strange sightings at a quarry lake where Aboriginal myth warns of the presence of a Loch Ness Monster-esque entity called the “Donkegin”. The folkore is murky, the revelation is a disappointment, the racist stereotypes are casually glossed over, and not even young Henry Thomas’ participation works out for the pic’s target audience—the low-key monotone of his line readings makes him sound bored, entirely disengaged from the fantastical possibilities of the local mystery. Despite some capricious camerawork, the movie is too poorly directed to generate the excitement, wonder and concern a kid’s adventure like this needs. Tony Barry almost makes the father-son relationship with the protagonist interesting, but it proves to be a losing effort when the story and atmosphere keep stalling out. Originally titled Frog Dreaming upon its initial release in Australia, and known by several other titles for its various international releases, such as The Mystery of the Dark Lake and The Go-Kids.

35/100