science fiction

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Review

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Amy O'Neill, Jared Rushton
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"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids"
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TOP SCHOLAR: Sarah Bastin

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Review Summaries
"Wayne Szalinski is a nerdy scientist with a crazy invention: an electro-magnetic shrinking machine! But the only problem with his revolutionary invention is that he can't get it to work--that is until his kids accidentally stumble upon it and end up shrinking themselves and the neighbor's kids, too. Less than an inch high, the kids are inadvertently swept up by Wayne, and then thrown out in the garbage. Now, the kids must journey across the lawn, where the blades of grass are as big as a forest to them, and somehow get back home and unshrink themselves. But even the front lawn can be a dangerous place when your 1/4 of an inch tall. The kids must peril deadly ants, dangerous bees, and worse of all, the lawn mower! Meanwhile, Wayne realizes that his machine worked and his kids were shrunk, and now are probably making their way through the lawn, so he sets up a contraption that keeps him propelled over the lawn with a magnifying glass to search for them."
Sarah Bastin, Resident Scholar

"Wayne Szalinski (Moranis) is a typical goofy scientist who lives in a California neighborhood and is working on a government project to try to shrink things. His wife Diane, a Realtor, has been somewhat estranged by his preoccupation with work, and his kids Amy (O'Neill) and Nick (Robert Oliveri) go their merry way. The Thompsons next door -- Big Russ, Little Russ, Mae and Ron -- naturally regard the Szalinskis as weird, but teenaged Russ is attracted to Amy. Although Wayne is convinced his shrinking ray is a failure, a peculiar series of circumstances causes all four kids to be shrunk to 1/4-inch size. Unaware, Wayne sweeps them up and puts them out in the trash, whereupon they struggle for a day and half to get back to the house, through the yard, and dealing with what are now to them giant ants, bees, a scorpion, the lawn sprinkler system, and a lawnmower. This 1989 Disney production was a smash hit; it was the directorial debut of Joe Johnston, who had worked on special effects for the first three "Star Wars" films, and is charming and hilarious. James Horner's musical score works in a motif from Nino Rota's main theme for Fellini's "Amarcord," I was pleased to notice. . . ."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar


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Overall Review
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Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 25%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 35%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%




**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - science fiction story
Character operated on/altered? Yes
Kind of alteration: - made bigger/smaller
Family Relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - obsessed
Hair color? - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/medium straight - (man) short/medium curly
Body type - very skinny (man) - average (man)
Events of movie makes character more... - sensitive
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters - Genius
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
How much in movie? - 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male - a fight for survival
Age: - 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 60% - 80%
Hair color - brunette (Brown)
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - skinny (man)
Ethnicity - White
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Ordinary Dumb
Physical condition - average physique
How sensitive is this character? - a soggy, whimpering jelly muffin

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century (1970's to Present)
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Misc settings - lab
Small town? Yes

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Tone of movie - funny
Comedy or somewhat funny movie? Yes
What kind of sex: - kissing
Any profanity? - None
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