If you grew up in the late nineties, you probably remember the distinct smell of a Blockbuster Video on a Friday night—popcorn, plastic cases, and the specific musk of industrial carpet. Tucked away in the family section, usually right next to the Power Rangers tapes, was a box featuring three kids standing over a miniature cityscape. That movie was The Secret Kingdom 1998, and honestly, it’s one of the most bizarre artifacts of the direct-to-video era.
It wasn't a Disney movie. It wasn't even a Saban production. It came from the mind of Charles Band. Yeah, that Charles Band. The guy who gave us Puppet Master and Demonic Toys.
What exactly was The Secret Kingdom 1998?
The plot is basically every 10-year-old's fever dream. You've got Zak, played by Jamieson Price, who discovers a literal tiny civilization living under his kitchen sink. It’s not just a dollhouse; it's a whole kingdom called Relm. His siblings, Timmy and Lexi, get sucked into the drama because, of course they do. The stakes? A civil war between two brothers, the noble Regent and the villainous Drakdulu.
Most people remember the "shrinking" trope from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, but The Secret Kingdom 1998 felt different. It was part of the "Pulsepounders" or "Moonbeam Entertainment" label, which was Full Moon’s attempt to capture the kids' market without the gore and nightmare fuel they were famous for in the early 90s.
The production value is... well, it's Full Moon. You have to appreciate the hustle. Band was filming in Romania at the time because the dollar went further, and you can see that in the sets. They look massive and gothic, yet somehow also like they might fall over if a kid sneezes too hard. It’s that specific brand of charmingly low-budget fantasy that we just don't see anymore in the age of polished CGI.
Why the tiny world trope worked (and why it didn't)
There’s a psychological hook to miniatures. Kids love feeling big. In The Secret Kingdom 1998, the scale shifts are the whole point of the movie. One minute the kids are giants, the next they’re tiny warriors caught in the middle of a coup.
The special effects were handled by folks who were used to making killer puppets. This gives the "tiny people" a physical presence that looks better than some of the early digital compositing of the era. They used forced perspective and practical miniatures. It’s tactile. You can tell someone actually built those tiny buildings.
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But here’s the thing. The movie is weirdly dark. Not "horror" dark, but it has that Eastern European gloom that permeated a lot of 90s fantasy shot in Bucharest. The color palette is muted. The villains feel genuinely threatening in a way that modern PG movies often shy away from. It’s got that "unsettling" vibe that made movies like The NeverEnding Story or Return to Oz stick in your brain for decades.
The Full Moon connection and the Moonbeam era
To understand why The Secret Kingdom 1998 exists, you have to look at the business side of 90s home video. Charles Band saw a gap. Parents wanted cheap entertainment for their kids, and video stores were hungry for "shelf fillers."
Band created Moonbeam Entertainment to fill that void. He brought over the same creature designers and cinematographers he used for his R-rated horror flicks. This led to a very specific aesthetic. Movies like Prehysteria!, Dragonworld, and The Secret Kingdom all share this DNA. They’re "family-friendly," but they feel like they were made by people who normally spend their time thinking about how to make a puppet’s head explode.
It’s a fascinating pivot. Imagine the guys who made Ghoulies deciding they want to make a movie about a kid finding a kingdom under the sink. That’s why the movie feels slightly "off" in the best way possible. It’s not sanitized. It’s gritty for a kids' movie.
Breaking down the cast and the "Where are they now?"
Jamieson Price, who played Zak, didn't stay in the live-action world for long. He actually became a massive name in the voice acting world. If you play video games or watch anime, you’ve heard his voice. He’s in Mortal Kombat (he's the announcer!), Persona 5, and World of Warcraft. It’s a wild trajectory—from fighting tiny soldiers under a sink to being one of the most recognizable voices in gaming.
The rest of the cast is a mix of Romanian locals and American B-movie stalwarts. That was the formula. Fly in a few recognizable faces (or at least American ones) and fill the rest of the ranks with local talent to keep the budget under control.
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Why we still talk about it in 2026
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. But it's more than that. The Secret Kingdom 1998 represents a lost art form: the mid-budget, direct-to-video practical effects fantasy.
Today, if a studio wanted to make this, they’d throw $50 million at a VFX house in Vancouver and every "tiny" person would be a digital asset. In 1998, they had to build it. They had to use mirrors. They had to use clever camera angles.
There’s a soul in that kind of filmmaking. Even if the acting is a bit wooden or the script is predictable, you can feel the effort of the crew trying to make a "big" movie on a "small" budget. It’s ironic, really. A movie about a tiny kingdom made by a studio that was essentially a tiny kingdom itself, fighting for space on the shelves of giant retailers.
The actual impact of the "Secret Kingdom" legacy
The movie wasn't a blockbuster. It didn't change cinema. But for a specific subset of Gen X and Millennials, it was a staple of rainy Saturday afternoons. It taught us that adventure could be anywhere—even behind the plumbing.
It also served as a proof of concept for Full Moon. It showed they could do more than just blood and guts. They could do "wonder," even if that wonder was a little bit dusty and smelled like a Romanian soundstage.
Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it better than you remember? Maybe. If you watch it today, you'll notice the pacing is a bit slow. The 90-minute runtime feels longer because we're used to the breakneck speed of modern TikTok-era editing. But the world-building is surprisingly dense. They actually put thought into the politics of Relm. They didn't just have the kids run around; they tried to create a mythology.
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How to watch it today
Tracking down The Secret Kingdom 1998 used to be a chore involving eBay and a prayer that the VHS hadn't demagnetized.
Fortunately, Full Moon is very protective of its catalog. Charles Band knows the value of his library. You can usually find it on the Full Moon Features streaming service, or occasionally on Amazon Prime or Tubi.
Watching it now is a trip. The grain of the 35mm film, the practical sets, the 90s haircuts—it’s a perfect time capsule. It reminds us of a time when the "direct-to-video" label wasn't necessarily a mark of shame, but a sign of a specific kind of independent spirit.
Actionable steps for the retro film fan
If you're looking to dive back into this world or introduce it to a new generation, don't just put it on in the background. Pay attention to the technical side.
- Look for the seams: Watch the scenes where the kids interact with the "tiny" people. Try to figure out where the split-screen is or how they used forced perspective. It’s a masterclass in low-budget problem solving.
- Explore the Moonbeam catalog: If you dig the vibe of The Secret Kingdom, check out Remote or Magic Island. They all have that same "Pulsepounders" energy.
- Support physical media: If you can find the DVD (or the rare Blu-ray), grab it. Streaming services come and go, but a physical copy of a niche 98 fantasy movie is forever.
- Listen for the voice: Keep an eye out for Jamieson Price. Once you realize he's the guy from The Secret Kingdom, you'll start hearing him in every major video game release of the last decade.
The Secret Kingdom 1998 isn't just a movie. It's a reminder that back in the late 90s, the video store was a place where anything could happen—and sometimes, the most interesting worlds were the ones hiding right under the sink. ---