#1 Cheap Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Reviews
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I saw this when it first came into theatres back in the summer of '89 (OMG, has it already been 20 yrs. since it came out??). During a summer of blockbusters ("Batman", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Ghostbusters 2"), I was impressed with the scope & creativity of this seemingly small film (no pun intended) which held its own admirably against the other box office juggernauts. Seeing it now, the special effects seem pretty artificial in comparison to the miracle-working CGI stuff today. No matter; it's the imaginative script & acting talent onscreen that's the real deal. Rick Moranis brings his own goofy comedic charm to the role of inventor Wayne Szalinski, who's created a shrink ray machine; trouble is, he can't quite figure out how to perfect it. That is, until a baseball whacked through the upstairs cellar window somehow solves the laser's problems & activates the machine as it randomly shrinks objects such as the furniture. The focus shifts back & forth between the Szalinski family & their neighbors, the Thompsons, headed by thick-headed matriarch Matt Frewer (yep, Max Headroom himself). The "baseball" altercation brings the Szalinski & Thompson kids together in the cellar...conveniently in range for the machine to shrink them. Being the preoccupied inventor that he is, Wayne tidily sweeps the kids up, bags them, and drops them off just outside the back yard. Thus, the film presents its main conflict: the kids need to get back to the house; except now, they face the insurmountable task of crossing the yard which has now become a miles-long jungle of giant blades of grass & giant flowers. It's here where the film really excels on imagination as the kids encounter bees, giant cookies, lawn mowers, toys & even make a lone ant a "pet". Finally, Wayne realizes what happened to the kids (and what he's done) & has to break the news to his wife (Marcia Strassman, resurfacing after TV's "Welcome Back, Kotter"). And so, the Thompson parents watch in dumbfounded awe & comment on "how weird the Szalinski's are" as Wayne & wife use bizarre contraptions to search for the kids without treading on the lawn. Eventually, through all kinds of unusual obstacles, the kids do make it back into the house, Wayne restores them back to normal size, and the neighbors, through this strange ordeal, actually become "good" neighbors.
I was rather disappointed that Disney didn't bother to create some DVD extras--at least a "making of" featurette--considering this was one of its biggest live-action hits. Guess I'll settle on the happiness of actually owning this little gem of a special effects comedy.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Overview
Get set for the adventure of a lifetime in the #1 comedy hit of the year, HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS! Rick Moranis stars as a preoccupied inventor who just can't seem to get his electro-magnetic shrinking machine to work. Then, when he accidentally shrinks his kids down to one-quarter-inch tall and tosses them out in the trash, the real adventure begins! Now the kids face incredible dangers as they try to make their way home through the jungle of their own backyard! Hurricane sprinklers! Dive-bombing bees! A runaway lawn mower and much, much more! Directed by Academy Award(R)-winner Joe Johnston (Visual Effects, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, 1981), this record-breaking smash is full of amazing special effects, hilarious comedy, wild chases, and nonstop surprises!
a favorite - M.F. - germany
my 7 year old loves this movie & i remember loving it when i was young, too. I noticed things i missed when I was younger, definitely a cute movie for young kids. Poor anty :)
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