Ghosthunters

In this so-so kids’ comedy Tom Thompson (Milo Parker) is a Potter-ish kiddywink whose family thinks he’s weird. Following a visit to the basement, he befriends a ghost called Hugo, who looks a bit like Slimer from ‘Ghostbusters’ crossed with a Teletubby and talks like Peter Kay. Together with cranky maverick spirit slayer Hetty Cuminseed (Anke Engelke), this mismatched trio set out to stop the AIG (Ancient Ice Ghost) who’s bent on turning the town into a Christmassy postcard.

The good-ghost-v-evil-ghost thing is already overfamiliar, but the film’s recycling of ideas doesn’t stop there. The Central Ghosthunting Institute, with its spectral inhabitants and bureaucratic parody is equal parts ‘Monsters, Inc’ and ‘Men in Black’. Worse, though, ‘Ghosthunters’ suffers from a severe lack of peril.

The lone antagonist doesn’t show up until the last ten minutes and is swiftly seen off in baffling circumstances which are unsatisfyingly explained with some trite, lazy nonsense about the power of friendship. Then the credits roll and, naturally, the blob ghost does a little dance to some euphoric pop.