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Acting
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Directing
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Story
Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman
Director: Joe Johnston
Running Time: 93 mins
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids is an American film about an inventor who creates a shrinking device in his attic, but accidentally shrinks his kids and their friends, who become lost in the now-enormous labyrinth of their house and garden.
Everybody remembers Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. It’s not a particularly amazing film, but its fun, imaginative premise, light-hearted humour and adventure, and above all a wacky lead turn from Rick Moranis are all part of what make it such an oddly memorable movie.
Speaking objectively, this film is really rather generic. Not only does it tell a fairly simplistic and entirely ridiculous adventure story, but it’s full of predictable Disney tropes – even where they’re not really needed.
So, alongside the shrunken kids trying to make their way back to safety, you’ve got a ham-fisted attempt at bringing an antagonist into the mix in the form of their neighbours’ parents, as well as cheesy and really quite awkward tween romance.
As a light-hearted fantasy adventure, though, Honey I Shrunk The Kids is a delight. Its premise may be preposterous, but with the zany Rick Moranis involved, everything feels just wacky enough for it to seem normal.
The real fun, however, comes with the film’s delightful imagination, turning an ordinary backyard into a jungle full of adventure, danger and wonder.
Lifting the fun factor no end with its wonderfully innovative portrayal of life in a backyard when you’re small, Honey I Shrunk The Kids is as cutely entertaining as it is imaginative, and it’s difficult not to find yourself smiling at its creativity and wonder.
The lead performances from the children are far from spectacular, with none of them really standing out with particularly charismatic performances. As a result, this isn’t much of a gripping movie, but more of a light-hearted adventure to follow along to – regardless of the people actually involved.
Rick Moranis gives the only memorable performance, but his zany turn really does sum up what’s so lovable about this movie. As a character, he’s no more interesting than the kids, but his energy and fun-filled performance is everything that this film is about.
Overall, while it may not be a particularly great film, there’s a lot to love about Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. It may struggle with a middling story, ham-fisted and generic Disney tropes, underwhelming characters and generally mediocre performances, but there’s something so enjoyably zany, fun-loving and cute about this delightfully imaginative family adventure, and that’s why I’m giving it 7.1.
