Worlds collide between a simple goatherd and a witch in the fantasy film starring Tami Stronach, the original Childlike Empress of The NeverEnding Story.

The goatherd has longed wanted one thing. And that is a wife to fall in love with. Living with his mother, he has always felt trapped on a road to nowhere. He tends to find solace in some of the farm animals. In a last-ditch effort, he hears about a witch who may have the ability to break his spell of loneliness. Upon meeting the witch, he offers a stone he has had in his possession for a while now. The witch realizes that the goatherd has given her the Ogrestone.

The witch slowly begins to have a massive crush on the goatherd. When the goatherd said as part of the deal to break the spell, the witch comes up with an idea. The goatherd must go to the Ogre’s Keep and not only kill the ogres but stop the Ogre King and rearrange the place. Things don’t go as planned. Things don’t go as planned and the witch has to get him out of the jam. Soon enough, the unexpected begins to happen with these two as the adventure goes on and when the goatherd is close to winning the heart of the princess, the witch forces the goatherd to perform a trial known as “The Dance of the Thousand Steps” to marry the princess.

In the vein of 80’s fantasy films such as The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride is a fun and hilarious adventure that nostalgia fans will definitely want to share with their kids. Being in an era where these brand of films are needed nowadays, this is a perfect example of something fun for the family. There are some nice twists, turns, and tension to keep the viewer engaged. Plus, with an amazing cast, that will be more than enough to make one want to watch the film.

Greg Steinbruner (who also wrote the film) is hilarious as the Goatherd, the titular “man” of the film. Getting himself in one situation after another, Steinbruner is perfect showcasing his knack of comic wit and chemistry when it comes to his scenes with the Witch. And with good reason. The Witch is played by Steinbruner’s wife, Tami Stronach, who will be forever known for her iconic role as The Childlike Empress in The NeverEnding Story.

Along with the husband-wife team, there are some great veterans along the way. They include Christopher Lloyd as the Alchemist, the Witch’s father who has some great comic chemistry with Shohreh Aghdashloo as the Witch’s mother. The animals, created as puppets from the Jim Henson Studios offer some funny bits with their talking to each other and the Goatherd. The dog is voiced by Sean Astin, with the Sheep being voiced by Eddie Izzard and Jennifer Saunders voicing the Goose. Michael Emerson plays the Evil Wizard, the Goatherd’s estranged father who is responsible for the curse that came upon his own son.

As the film goes on, it’s clear that both the Goatherd and the Witch have some romantic tension together. As the Witch’s look improves as the film goes on, once the final task of the “dance of a thousand steps” happens, we see the amazing real-life chemistry of Steinbruner and Stronach come to life as if they are meant to drive the film, which without a doubt, they definitely do and totally look fantastic together.

Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps is a fantastic family film that must be seen for fans of the 80s and early 90’s family fantasy films. With this genre on its way to having a major resurgence as of late, this is one of the perfect films for nostalgia fans to share with their kids. Greg Steinbruner and Tami Stronach clearly have a winner of a film on their hands with their perfect chemistry.

WFG RATING: A+

A Paper Canoe Co. production. Director: Michael Hines. Producers: Angela Murray and Nick Young. Writer: Greg Steinbruner. Cinematography: Simon Vickery. Editing: David Arthur and Victoria Boydell.

Cast: Greg Steinbruner, Tami Stronach, Christopher Lloyd, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Pauline McLynn, Reginald D. Hunter, Sean Astin (voice), Jennifer Saunders (voice), Eddie Izzard (voice), Stuart Bowman, Michael Emerson, Martha West, Thomas Bradfield, Maya Steinbruner.

The film is scheduled for a release on July 28 and July 30, 2024 from Fathom Events. Special Thanks to October Coast PR.