45
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertAdventures in Babysitting seemed littered with unrealized possibilities. The movie has good raw material, but it never really was pulled together into something I could care about much.
- 60Washington PostRita KempleyWashington PostRita KempleyBabysitting, the directorial debut of The Goonies and Gremlins writer Chris Columbus, is a sweet-natured, adolescent variation on the big-city black comedy After Hours.
- 60Los Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonLos Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonIt's one of those movies that, however well it works now, might have been pretty bad with a different cast and director. It doesn't really transcend its genre; it just stretches it in amusing and sometimes surprising ways.
- 60NewsweekDavid AnsenNewsweekDavid AnsenGuts, wit and soul, these suburban kids have it all: Babysitting outdoes even John Hughes in flattering its target audience, and for this it will doubtless be amply rewarded. [13 July 1987, p.60]
- 50Time Out LondonTime Out LondonIf this family fodder is functional, it's due largely to its production design and cinematography, which endow the city of Chicago with an effectively menacing aspect.
- 50The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinTo be fair, ''Adventures in Baby-Sitting'' is determinedly cute, and its pep may well be appreciated by anyone with a frame of reference as narrow as the film makers' own. It's clear from the film's opening moments that pep is all that matters here anyhow.
- 50The Globe and Mail (Toronto)The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Amusement parks are fine, but with the danger gone, Adventures in Babysitting seems a lot like going to the park when all the scary rides are closed. [03 July 1987]
- 40EmpireWilliam ThomasEmpireWilliam ThomasStrays from the boundaries of believability a little too much to be regarding anything other than a throw-away comedy.
- 25Chicago TribuneDave KehrChicago TribuneDave KehrAdventures in Babysitting not only panders to expectations but also attempts to exploit fears and prejudices. [03 July 1987, p.A]
- 25Miami HeraldHal BoedekerMiami HeraldHal BoedekerWatching Adventures in Babysitting is like eating a carton of candy bars. The first bites are sweet, but after a while, you're gagging. This is one gooey confection. [07 July 1987, p.C7]