The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
Well, it didn't age well. At least not the special effects. But, they were more practical than digital and that makes a difference. You get the feeling that the people are actually there when the effects are practical and not digital, and you don't have that sensation that you are watching other people play a video game like you do with a lot of the digital effects heavy movies these days.
It's just, the practical effects weren't that great and kind of cheap, even in 89, because they figured... kid movie.
However, it's still more Family Movie than Kid Movie. It has enough in the way of adventure and fun to appeal to all age groups, and it knows how to keep things clean without dumbing them down... and that is something that a lot of family films do NOT know how to do.
It has enough where, the only people that don't like it are the people that need everything deadly serious, and they aren't going to like much
Rick Moranis is the geeky scientist working on a means by which he can shrink matter. Using a complex series of gadgets and a laser - he is confident the his Eureka moment is close when... a baseball shatters a window, activates his equipment and suddenly his children and those of the family next door have essentially disappeared! Where can they have gone? Well we all know that they are now playing a dangerous game with the tiniest of creatures that would normally go unnoticed. "Giant" ants and beetles... Meantime, dad "Szalinski" realises just what has happened and sets up some rather fanciful experiments to try and find their diminutive families before they starve, are eaten or just get trodden on! The events on the adult side are all a bit unremarkable, but there are some fun escapades as the youngsters have to take refuge in a discarded Lego brick whilst fending off the new giants of the lawn! A sort of "Lost World" environment where sticks, stones and their own ingenuity are their only defence. I aways like films where man is pitched against nature without the advantages of weapons - it makes me realise just how incompetent we are at feeding and defending ourselves. For me, that's where much of the humour comes from here rather than the over-scripted dialogue. The kids' acting is fine, there's even a little hint of romance as they try desperately to get back home and attract the attention of their folks. Nope, there's no jeopardy and it's got sequel written all over the last half hour, but it's enjoyable enough in a predicable sort of fashion with some decent visual effects and daft antics with a lawn mower and a washing line!
