La Traversée de la Pacific (1982) Reviews

A potentially moving story about a Cambodian orphan and his quest to return home is trivialized by overacting and exaggeration in this fantasy tale meant for family fare. Toby (Jonathan Starr) and Liz (Anick) live with their aunt and uncle in bucolic happiness, and one day a Cambodian orphan adopted by the aunt and uncle joins the family. Han (Ky Huot-uk) has a dream of returning home (the murderous Khmer Rouge are not mentioned). So when the youngsters come across the eccentric King of Peru (Mickey Rooney) and his magic locomotive, Han gets the idea of jumping on board and riding it back to Cambodia. The intended poignancy of his wish is unfortunately lost among the weak story, cutesy children, and a caricatured interpretation by Mickey Rooney. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi