Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Directed by Joe Johnston, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids follows four adolescents as they’re accidentally miniaturized by fledgling inventor Wayne Szalinski’s (Rick Moranis) shrink-ray device. It’s a fantastic premise that’s employed to watchable yet thoroughly erratic effect by Johnston, as the movie, written by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman, progresses at a somewhat lackadaisical pace that’s especially problematic during its far-from-enthralling opening stretch – with the affable atmosphere perpetuated almost entirely by an assortment of above-average, thoroughly charismatic performances. (Moranis is, of course, the main draw here, though he certainly receives more-than-able support from a solid periphery cast that includes Matt Frewer and Marcia Strassman.) And although the picture’s midsection has been punctuated with a handful of genuinely exciting sequences, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids‘ second act does, at the same time, suffer from a decidedly repetitious feel that inevitably (and ultimately) wreaks havoc on its momentum and ensures that the climax isn’t quite able to pack the feel-good, cathartic punch Johnston has obviously intended. There’s nevertheless little doubt that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids basically lives up to the potential inherent in its irresistible premise, which confirms its place as an admittedly forgettable family-friendly adventure that benefits from its consistently impressive special effects and, of course, Moranis’ pervasively appealing work.

**1/2 out of ****