Seen today, "The Double McGuffin" will seem a little dated even to kids. The movie, though dealing with a planned assassination, has an almost naive tone to it. You never really feel that the kids in the movie are in any real danger.
However, the movie does manage to generate some interest, and it's never boring. The kids, plotting to stop the assassination attempt, are smart and resourceful. And their actions are reasonable for their age; a little too smart maybe, but more realistic than a Disney movie during that year would have made them. Some parents may be shocked by an unusual amount of (mostly mild) swearing by the kids. Kids, on the other hand, won't see anything unusual - they DO use these words behind your back, mom and dad. However, I'm not sure a real 9 year old boy would have a great interest in Playboy as the 9 year old here does. Boys will look at dirty pictures, but usually in quick curious glances, and not as a long term interest. Though this scene, and some other sexual humor is treated lightly and as background gags. There are several other humorous scenes in the movie which add to the fun.
The story is easy enough to follow, though it's never explained about who the dead body is, and a few other minor plot details. The climax may be disappointing for adults as well as kids; if this movie were to be remade, I'd bet that whatever studio or producer funding this movie would insist on an action-packed ending or something, as well as removing the too sweet and assuring tone. Though there's the danger that the movie would be TOO rough. See Cloak and Dagger (1984) for an example; though it is a good movie, there were some scenes that, though I wasn't scared by, even as a kid I felt were inappropriate for a family movie.
Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for some in-jokes. Listen carefully to the radio in one scene, and look at the books in the hotel carefully. Joe Camp (the director, and creator of BENJI) has a cameo as a store clerk.
What happened to Joe Camp, anyway?
