Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The acting in this movie is really good.

No doubt that producers saw a series of these Mickey Matson films and another was made and another may be planned if there's public demand for same. But the McGuffin of this film, an alchemy machine is really a bit much. Only the littlest kids are going to swallow this one.Young Derek Brandon is an appealing young title character who lives in a really rural part of Michigan and as it opens we discover he's at the funeral of his grandfather Christopher Lloyd. Lloyd left him a rock which turns out to be the key to treasure. An unlimited treasure as it turns out because there was something to those medieval and ancient tales of alchemy where base matter can be turned into precious metal. There's also a secret society of people named after northern sympathizers to the Confederate cause, the Copperheads. They want that alchemy thing. Just think of the havoc it would reek on the economy of those damn Yankees. Brandon as I said is appealing as is his female sidekick Francesca DeRosa who is visiting her grandmother Patrika Darbo. But the story was just way too outrageous. For the little kids only.

In 1863 Sudan, a group of men discover a box containing what we later learn is a large sapphire.In present day North Bay, Michigan, Mickey attends the funeral of his beloved grandfather Jack. Young female relatives don't seem to care as they laugh at whatever is on someone's phone. But Mr. Stumpwater has wonderful things to say about the man. Later, Mickey finds out his grandfather left him a rock in his will. Not realizing its importance, the disappointed Mickey almost throws it into Lake Michigan before Mr. Stumpwater rescues it and reminds Mickey the rock is important. Using a microscope, Mickey discovers a map on the rock and decides to investigate with his new friend Sully, a Chicago girl staying with her Grams while her parents work out their problems.A couple of tough Southerners rob a local bank and proclaim the South will rise again. It turns out they are Copperheads working for Stalwert Priggish III, and their goal is to find the Alchemy Machine and make enough silver to take over the United States.Grams and several others are part of a group of Patriots formed by Abraham Lincoln to protect the Three Elements that control the Alchemy Machine. Mickey's rock is one of the three, and another is in Jack's museum. And the sapphire is also discovered. The Patriots and Copperheads now must fight to determine who controls the Alchemy Machine. Fortunately, the Southerners who robbed the bank are like the Three Stooges.I really liked Sully, and Mickey is pleasant enough and quite smart. Patrika Darbo shows intelligence and determination. Ernie Hudson does a great job and also shows courage. And Christopher Lloyd does his usual good job in flashbacks.The actors playing the Southerners are another matter. Rick Plummer is good as their leader. The bald man is funny and pretty good. The man with long hair, though, seems to lack talent and delivers laughs just because he is such a moron. This is an interesting mystery even if it occasionally turns violent.

The title of this movie is a complete misnomer. It completely misleads one into thinking that there are a range of exciting scenes, however the movie just plods along due to a poor script with limited direction.I don't blame the main actors who are children, more the scriptwriters/producer/director whom, I presume are adults. I watched the movie with my kids who actually asked if they could do their homework..something that never happens with what we class as even a moderately 'good' movie.Whatever you do, don't get this movie due to the exciting sounding title or picture on the cover.

This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen; and trust me, I have seen a lot of dumb ones. The script sounds like it was written for Axe Cop (but not designed to be commical), and aside from the 15 seconds that Christopher Lloyed graced the screen, the acting was terrible. The characters do stupid things for no logical reason and the filming is slow. The only strong point that this movie has is that after you have seen it, you can later make fun of it with your friends and family, always remembering it as the worst movie you guys have ever seen. If you don't plan on watching this movie with your friends or family, then you are better of spending your evening reading random wikipedia articles.