Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Rick Moranis | ... | Wayne Szalinski | |
Matt Frewer | ... | Big Russ Thompson | |
Marcia Strassman | ... | Diane Szalinski | |
Kristine Sutherland | ... | Mae Thompson | |
Thomas Wilson Brown | ... | Little Russ Thompson (as Thomas Brown) | |
Jared Rushton | ... | Ron Thompson | |
Amy O'Neill | ... | Amy Szalinski | |
Robert Oliveri | ... | Nick Szalinski | |
Carl Steven | ... | Tommy Pervis | |
Mark L. Taylor | ... | Don Forrester | |
Kimmy Robertson | ... | Gloria Forrester | |
Lou Cutell | ... | Dr. Brainard | |
Laura Waterbury | ... | Female Cop | |
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Trevor Galtress | ... | Male Cop |
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Martin Aylett | ... | Harold Boorstein |
On the brink of perfecting his state-of-the-art matter-shrinking machine, the suburban paterfamilias and indefatigable inventor, Professor Wayne Szalinski, realises that his device truly works, when it zaps both his kids and their friends. Now, to return to the relative safety of their home while being reduced to a mere quarter-inch size, the minuscule humans must venture out into the dense and perilous landscapes of their now-immense backyard--a hostile environment where nearly everything spells trouble. Can the kids exit the green maze of grass in one piece? Written by Nick Riganas
The subject of the man who's shrinking isn't new because Jack Arnold had broached it (with brio) in "the incredible shrinking man" thirty-two years ago. Here, in this new variation of the man who's shrinking it's not one man but four teenagers who shrunk. Moreover, the philosophical and pessimistic sides have disappeared. Instead, Joe Johnston made a familial comedy and a vibrating movie, often funny with some quite successful special effects. He also succedded in changing a familiar place (the garden) that you think you know like the back of your hand into an unfriendly jungle where the insects are as huge as elephants and the humans become unwittingly monsters: Wayne Szalinski, in spite of him, will put to the test several times the teenagers and he'll nearly eat his son for his breakfast. This doesn't stop the movie from being quite conventional. It's not surprising as the screenplay was written by Tom Schulman, the one who wrote the screenplay of this overrated and conventional movie that is "Dead Poet Society" (the two movies were launched at the same time). Here, for example, Ross' father attempts to lay down to his elder son, his likings and passions but then, he'll find out that it's not the right way to gain his son's affection. The movie doesn't also avoid certain clichés: Rick Moranis epitomizes the model crazy learned: he's wearing glasses, he invented a machine supposed to be revolutionary and his odd habits make the neighbours (the Thompsons) mistrustful and distant. But they'll show gratitude to him because he'll know how to come back their children to their human height. Nevertheless, Johnston and Schulman reach their goal: entertain the spectator without any ulterior motives. So "honey I shrunk the kids" remains a pleasant comedy that was designed to please to a large public