Movie Review: Honey, I Blew Up the Kid

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Different enough story for a sequel; plenty of humor

Cons: A tad too much time at the house; a few dated effects; missing characters

The Bottom Line:

A big fun sequel

Some definite flaws but still

Something fans will like

"There Is No Way I'm Changing Those Diapers."

I remember a time when I used to look forward to all sequels with enthusiasm.  Of course, now I've seen how they often can't measure up.  But back when Honey, I Blew Up the Kid came out, I expected all sequels to live up to the originals.  Honestly, this one does come very close to recapturing the magic of the first film.

The Szalinski Family has moved from Fresno to the Las Vegas suburbs.  Wayne (Rick Moranis) has been hired by the Sterling Corporation, and they are trying to use his original invention to enlarge things now, but it just isn't working.  One weekend while Diane (Marcia Strassman) is dropping Amy (Amy O'Neal in a cameo) off at college, Wayne figures it out.  Taking son Nick (Robert Oliveri) and the newest addition to the family, two year old Adam (Joshua and Daniel Shalikar), to the lab, he tries to make it work.

At first, he thinks he new idea was a bust.  But then Adam starts growing.  While Wayne tries to figure out how to reverse things, Diane and Nick just try to keep Adam calm.  But how to you keep a hyperactive two year old who is bigger than you from destroying the house?  Can they keep his sudden growth a secret?  And if he gets out of the house, how will they ever control him?

I think one thing I appreciated about this movie was the fact that it didn't try to retell the same story.  Instead, it features the opposite size issue (growth instead of shrinking).  And, while there are issues the family is dealing with, they aren't the same and are logical for the next stage in the family's life.

Plus, this movie is just plain fun.  There are plenty of jokes dealing with growth, especially comments about how Adam is a big boy.  Heck, the first time we see Adam, he is watching Mr. Rodgers sing "You're Growing."  And the movie just has a great sense of humor about how the Sazlinski family is unlucky when it comes to size adventures.  The nosy neighbors add to the fun as well.

The plot pretty much only bogs down in one place.  We spend too long trying to coral Adam at home before he grows again and escapes.  But this doesn't last for too long.  And once Adam escapes, we start getting nothing but pay off for all the things that have been set up along the way.

One thing that did bother me about this movie was the missing characters.  The Thompsons are mentioned once, and not even by name.  Amy is pretty much reduced to a cameo and an excuse to get Diane out of the house for a day so the plot can begin.  I really would have liked to see her around for the entire thing.

The way the cast interacts with Adam is absolutely adorable.  I have a feeling that some things got changed based on how he was behaving at the time.  Yet the rest of the cast takes his behavior in stride.  Some of those switches make for cute moments that make the characters come alive for me.

And, yes, the cast does a great job.  The returning cast does a great job reprising their roles.  The twins are great as Adam.  Keri Russell of Felicity fame makes her film debut here playing Mandy, the babysitter that Nick has a crush on.  And I've got to praise John Shea, the villain of the piece who you just love to hate.

The special effects all work.  At times, when a dual shot is used, the break between the layers is obvious.  But the majority of the shots are believable.

The DVD also leaves a little to be desired.  They cropped the picture to make it full screen.  The sound is in 5.1 surround, which is quite good.  And there are absolutely no extras to be seen.

Okay, so it is a sequel.  But Honey, I Blew Up the Kid is still quite enjoyable.  If you are looking for a good movie for the family, this is one you'll enjoy.