Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

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!