Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, several kid actors who never became famous

From: Disney

From the people that brought you Re-Animator, From Beyond and Society.

Yesterday I subscribed to Disney + for the first time in months; as I spent plenty of time since Sunday at Walt Disney World... BTW, my sister and nephews made it back home to the Midwest fine. This movie in particular was selected not just because it was something I liked as a little kid yet haven't viewed in what was probably 30 years. It is the fact that people don't often enough note how the story came from Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna; once that fact was learned as an adult, it made me laugh and it will never not make me laugh for the rest of time. In fact, if Gordon hadn't fell ill right before production, he would have been the director. Even so, those two playing a big role in a big Disney hit is amazing.

The story is basic yet that is fine: a pair of siblings (who are kids that not only live next door to each other, each has beef with the other three to varying degrees) get shrunk to 6 inches tall and have to navigate the jungle that is a backyard. Naturally, the quartet begin to get along the further the journey progresses; even if the movie overall does not rise above “fine”, that is no slight as at least it was breezy entertainment. Furthermore, all four kids did at least one thing to advance the plot, there are funny moments throughout, and yes it was nice to see Rick Moranis again as I am also one that misses him.

As an adult, not only do I appreciate most of the practical effects still looking fine, but Matt Frewer playing a real Matt Frewer sort of part (meaning, a smarmy jerk) tickled me pink. A nice James Horner score-I've seen some say they go bananas for it-is a helpful bonus. I've never seen any of the sequels nor the television show; OF COURSE there are rumors of it being rebooted somehow but a version of this idea with CG... no thank you. At least this holds up... as I sometimes state, it is a movie which would be more than acceptable for any of my nephews.