Summer is coming up soon, and the kids will be out of school and in need of something to watch when taking a break from other activities. This movie is great for 9-13 year-olds. Admittedly, this is a much older movie, and so… That aside, I was feeling nostalgic and saw this movie on Vudu and jumped at the chance to buy it. When I was a kid, around 11 or 12, I watched a movie called The Night Train To Kathmandu (1988) and fell in love. I fell in love with the film, and I fell in love with the two main characters. I remember wanting to be the girl and just living the movie. I was a very imaginative preteen. Lily (Milla Jovovich) and her family move to Nepal. Along the way, she meets Johar (Eddie Castrodad) and helps him. Johar is a prince who must get to the invisible city. The title is right on the nose, and they meet on the train to Kathmandu at night.
As I said, Lily and Johar meet on the train to Kathmandu at night. Lily and her little brother are moving to Nepal with their parents. Mrs. and Mr. Mcleod are professors that got their dream jobs in Nepal. On their way, they take a train with beds to sleep in. Lily gets restless and walks around the train. When she returns to her room (she and her brother share a room on the train), there is a boy in her bunk. According to Johar, the young man in the bunk, he just appeared on the train and thought he was supposed to go to bed. He has no ticket, but he does have diamonds. When Lily kicks him out of her room, he sleeps outside her room. When Johar gets hassled, Lily comes up with a story to cover why he was there.
The girl that I was was so in love with Johar. I wanted to be Lily, who I thought was incredibly pretty, so that I could be close to him. I wanted to go to Nepal so that I could see the colors, buildings, culture, and markets. I wanted to find that city. I was fascinated.
The professors around Lily and Johar spoke a lot about an invisible city and a prince that comes to our world for a month and then goes back. Eventually, Johar is thought to be a thief and leaves the employment that Lily helped him secure. A medallion that Johar needs is broken, and the twin is stolen and therefore lost to him. He loses Lily’s trust and friendship. Lily is smart enough to put everything she is hearing about some of the stories about the invisible city, from different sources together and figures out Johar is the Prince from the stories.
Johar must make his way back, but two professors want to see the city. It has been their life’s work though they weren’t working together. They each have their own selfish considerations. Eventually, they decide to work together. Admittedly, that part of the story is a little weird but forgivable.
Watching the movie as an adult, I can remember those feelings of my time of being that child, but I have definitely outgrown it. It was fun to watch and to reminisce. I think anyone from around 9-13 could enjoy this movie. It has no love scenes, not even a kiss between the two main characters. It is a sweet movie, though. What do you think? Have I made you want to watch it? Or have you watched it before? I would love to know your opinion on the movie, so let me know in the comments below so we can chat about it. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
