Movie Review: Adventures in Babysitting (2016)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun, wacky family comedy

Cons: Definitely some themes parents will want to talk through with their kids

The Bottom Line:

When a kid sneaks out

It leads to chaos for all

In remake that works

When Babysitting Gets Out of Hand

Time for another true confession – even though I grew up in the 1980’s, I have never seen Adventures in Babysitting.  After all, I didn’t watch very many movies until I went to college.  However, when The Disney Channel decided to remake it with one of the stars of Girl Meets World in a lead role, I decided to give the remake a chance.  I’m glad because I mostly enjoyed it.

Jenny Parker (Sabrina Carpenter) and Lola Perez (Sofia Carson) are both up for a photography internship, but that’s all they have in common.  Jenny is a responsible, driven young woman, while Lola is laid back to the point of irresponsibility.  While at an interview for the internship, the two meet and take an instant dislike to each other.  They accidentally switch phones, and Lola takes a call intended for Jenny – a desperate call for a babysitter.  Desperate for money, Lola takes the job.

Jenny has her own babysitting gig that night, and while there, she learns what Lola has done.  She brings her charges to confront Lola and switch back her phone only to discover that one of Lola’s kids has snuck out for the night.  Desperate to save her reputation, Jenny is the one who actually leads the group into the city to try to track down the boy.  But when things go from bad to worse, will anything get them all home safely before the parents find out?

I must admit a part of me is still of two minds about the film.  All of the kids, including the babysitters, make some bad choices.  They seem like a good idea, but when you stop and think about them, they really aren’t.  I remember the original was controversial, partly for that very reason.  This is definitely a movie to talk about with your kids.

On the other hand, this movie is fun.  There are some wacky situations the kids find themselves in over the course of the evening, and they are played perfectly for laughs.  The little bit of stunt work involved is fantastic as well, and makes the physical comedy work.

If you’ve been reading my reviews of the Hallmark movies I’ve watched over the last few years, I’ve commented on the Hallmark cheese factor.  This may be a Disney Channel movie, but I noticed it here as well, mainly among the adults in the cast.  However, the acting is perfectly in tone with the light hearted movie, and you’ll get lost in the story before you know it.

Speaking of story, each of the kids get their one sub-plot and as a result their moment to shine.  It’s mostly predictable stuff, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

By the time the movie was over, I was completely enjoying myself.  While I can’t compare it to the original, I found the remake of Adventures in Babysitting to be fun for a new generation.