“The Giant of Thunder Mountain” is an interesting adventure, which features a giant, some precocious kids, a beautiful mountain surrounded by woods, and a bear. What’s not to like? Richard Kiel stars in this story, which is set in the autumn of 1896. The giant, named Eli, who lives on Thunder Mountain in a cabin, is feared by the townspeople in the valley. However, a young girl named Amy (Noley Thornton) and with her brothers Tommy and Ben visit the giant, and Amy befriends him. She convinces him to come to her home one evening for dinner, and he does. Amy’s mother, Alicia (Marianne Rogers), is amazed at his height, but he is a gentle soul who fixes her cuckoo clock before he leaves. Amy convinces Eli to attend the carnival in town with her, which proves to be a disaster.
Unfortunately, a carnival man named Hezekiah (Jack Elam) and his two sons learn that Eli has gold nuggets in his cabin. Hezekiah and his sons cause a lot of grief when they go up to his cabin and grab Tommy and Ben, who were there to visit. Eli is away with Amy and saves her from the same bear that killed his parents years ago. Eli is wounded, fighting the bear, and Amy runs for help. Due to a misunderstanding, the town folk think Eli was trying to harm Amy and her brothers, and they pursue him with the intent of harming him.
How will the story end? Your family will have to watch it to find out. “The Giant of Thunder Mountain” is a suspenseful movie that features themes of being gentle, trusting God, and forgiving others. We present this film with our Dove Seal for ages 12-plus. It includes a few violent scenes, but none are gratuitous or overly graphic.