Honey, I Shrunk the Kids *** (1989, Rick Moranis Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman) – Classic Movie Review 5648

Director Joe Johnston’s 1989 blockbuster movie stars Rick Moranis as daffy boffin and dad Professor Wayne Szalinski, who develops a top secret ray gun to shrinks objects that accidentally miniaturises his teenage girl and boy children and two other neighbourhood teens to quarter of an inch. While scientist father searches for them, the tiny teens battle enormous dangers.

This nifty Disney comedy adventure, clearly indebted to Fifties sci-fi fantasy films like The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), is good fun family entertainment with a decent script by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman, based on a story by Ed Naha, Brian Yuzna, and Stuart Gordon.

It is propelled by the engaging sense of humour, bright handling, amusing acting (especially from Moranis and Matt Frewer as the nerdish neighbour, Big Russ Thompson) and the neat trick work (by Phil Tippett, David Allen, Rick Fichter, David Sosalla and Peter Chesney). It was the winner of the 1991 BAFTA Film Award for Best Special Visual Effects, shared by the whole special visual effects production team.

Also in the cast are Marcia Strassman as the professor’s wife Diane Szalinski, Kristine Sutherland as Mae Thompson, Thomas Wilson Brown as Little Russ Thompson, Jared Rushton as Ron Thompson, Amy O’Neill as Amy Szalinski, Robert Oliveri as Nick Szalinski and Carl Steven as Tommy Pervis.

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997) followed.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5648

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