▁letting ▁the ▁special ▁effects ▁over wh elm ▁the ▁cast ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁audience ." ▁Vincent ▁Can by ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁called ▁it ▁" a ▁mar vel ously ▁sp ook y ▁g host ▁story " ▁with ▁" extra ordinary ▁technical ▁effects " ▁that ▁were ▁" o ften ▁eer ie ▁and ▁beautiful ▁but ▁also ▁occasionally ▁v ivid ly ▁gru esome ." ▁Andrew ▁S arr is , ▁in ▁The ▁Village ▁Vo ice , ▁wrote ▁that ▁when ▁Carol ▁Anne ▁is ▁lost , ▁the ▁parents ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁older ▁children ▁" come ▁together ▁in ▁blood - kin ▁em path y ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁larger - than - life ▁family ▁that ▁will ▁reach ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁gates ▁of ▁hell ▁to ▁save ▁its ▁loved ▁ones ." ▁In ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Her ald ▁Ex am iner , ▁Peter ▁R ainer ▁wrote : ▁ ▁Bur ied ▁within ▁the ▁plot ▁of ▁Pol ter ge ist ▁is ▁a ▁basic , ▁splendid ▁fair y ▁tale ▁scheme : ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁little ▁girl ▁who ▁puts ▁her ▁parents ▁through ▁the ▁most ▁out rage ous ▁trib ulation ▁to ▁prove ▁their ▁love ▁for ▁her . ▁Under lying ▁most ▁fair y ▁tales ▁is ▁a ▁common ▁theme : ▁the ▁comfort s ▁of ▁family . ▁V irt ually ▁all ▁fair y ▁tales ▁begin ▁with ▁a ▁dis rupt ing ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁order , ▁and ▁their ▁conclusion ▁is ▁usually ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁order . ▁ ▁Not ▁all ▁reviews ▁were ▁as ▁positive . ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁one - and - a - half ▁stars ▁out ▁of ▁four